Catalog of Fishes
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Somniosus microcephalus
(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Greenland shark
Classification: Elasmobranchii Squaliformes Somniosidae
Reference of the original description
M.E. Blochii Systema Ichthyologiae iconibus ex illustratum. Post obitum auctoris opus inchoatum absolvit, correxit, interpolavit. J.G. Schneider, Saxo: 584 p., 110 pl.
M.E. Blochii Systema Ichthyologiae iconibus ex illustratum. Post obitum auctoris opus inchoatum absolvit, correxit, interpolavit. J.G. Schneider, Saxo: 584 p., 110 pl.
Image of the original description
No image in first description.
No image in first description.
Images of the original description (synonym)
Synonyms / new combinations and misspellings
Acanthorhinus carcharias, Dalatias (Somniosus) borealis, Laemargus borealis, Laemargus brevipinna, Laemargus microcephalus, Leiodon echinatum, Scymnus borealis, Scymnus brevipinna, Scymnus glacialis, Scymnus gunneri, Scymnus microcephalus, Scymnus micropterus, Scymnus (Laemargus) borealis, Scymnus (Laemargus) brevipinna, Somniosus aff. microcephalus, Somniosus borealis, Somniosus brevipinna, Somniosus carcharias, Somniosus cf. microcephalus, Somniosus (Somniosus) microcephalus, Squalus borealis, Squalus microcephalus, Squalus norvegianus
Acanthorhinus carcharias, Dalatias (Somniosus) borealis, Laemargus borealis, Laemargus brevipinna, Laemargus microcephalus, Leiodon echinatum, Scymnus borealis, Scymnus brevipinna, Scymnus glacialis, Scymnus gunneri, Scymnus microcephalus, Scymnus micropterus, Scymnus (Laemargus) borealis, Scymnus (Laemargus) brevipinna, Somniosus aff. microcephalus, Somniosus borealis, Somniosus brevipinna, Somniosus carcharias, Somniosus cf. microcephalus, Somniosus (Somniosus) microcephalus, Squalus borealis, Squalus microcephalus, Squalus norvegianus
Types
Somniosus microcephalus
XXXX: No types known;
Scymnus glacialis
XXXX: No types known;
Scymnus gunneri
XXXX: No types known;
Scymnus micropterus
Syntype: MNHN: 9857 Seine estuary MNHN: A-9876 Cap Nord
Somniosus brevipinna
XXXX: No types known;
Squalus borealis
XXXX: No types known;
Squalus norvegianus
XXXX: No types known;
Somniosus microcephalus
XXXX: No types known;
Scymnus glacialis
XXXX: No types known;
Scymnus gunneri
XXXX: No types known;
Scymnus micropterus
Syntype: MNHN: 9857 Seine estuary MNHN: A-9876 Cap Nord
Somniosus brevipinna
XXXX: No types known;
Squalus borealis
XXXX: No types known;
Squalus norvegianus
XXXX: No types known;
Description :
Citation: Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801): In: Database of modern sharks, rays and chimaeras, www.shark-references.com, World Wide Web electronic publication, Version 11/2024
Please send your images of "Somniosus microcephalus" to info@shark-references.com
Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), © Andy Murch Elasmodiver
Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), © Andy Murch Elasmodiver
Common names
Eishai, Grundhai, Grönlandhai, 
Tiburón boreal, Tollo boreal, Tollo de Groenlandia, 
Laimargue, Laimargue atlantique, Laimargue du Groenland, 
Greenland shark, Ground shark, Oakettle, 
Squalo di Groenlandia lemargo, 
Tubarao da Gronelândia, Tubarao de Gronelândia, Tubarão-da-noite
Eishai, Grundhai, Grönlandhai, Tiburón boreal, Tollo boreal, Tollo de Groenlandia, Laimargue, Laimargue atlantique, Laimargue du Groenland, Greenland shark, Ground shark, Oakettle, Squalo di Groenlandia lemargo, Tubarao da Gronelândia, Tubarao de Gronelândia, Tubarão-da-noite
Short Description
A gigantic, heavily-bodied dogfish shark with a moderately long, rounded snout and small, low dorsal fins; lower caudal lobe long; upper jaw with small single-cusped teeth and lower jaw with moderate-sized, bent-cusped, slicing teeth [536]. Medium grey or brown in color, sometimes with transverse dark bands or small light spots [536]. Diet: seals (ringed seal (Pusa hispida); bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and hooded seal (Cystophora cristata)), minke whale (Balenoptera acutorostrata), Fish dominated the sharks’ diet, most important fish species: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) [16141];
A gigantic, heavily-bodied dogfish shark with a moderately long, rounded snout and small, low dorsal fins; lower caudal lobe long; upper jaw with small single-cusped teeth and lower jaw with moderate-sized, bent-cusped, slicing teeth [536]. Medium grey or brown in color, sometimes with transverse dark bands or small light spots [536]. Diet: seals (ringed seal (Pusa hispida); bearded seal (Erignathus barbatus) and hooded seal (Cystophora cristata)), minke whale (Balenoptera acutorostrata), Fish dominated the sharks’ diet, most important fish species: Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus) and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) [16141];
Distribution
North Atlantic and Arctic: Cape Cod and the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of St. Lawrence to Ellesmere Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Spitzbergen, White Sea, and Norway to the North Sea, sometimes south to the Seine River mouth, France and maybe Portugal. South Atlantic and Southern Ocean: South Africa, Kerguelen and Macquarie islands.
First record: 2015 [23556]: northern boundary of the Laptev Sea (78°04.3 N, 133°24.4 E) Source: www.gbif.org
North Atlantic and Arctic: Cape Cod and the Gulf of Maine, Gulf of St. Lawrence to Ellesmere Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Spitzbergen, White Sea, and Norway to the North Sea, sometimes south to the Seine River mouth, France and maybe Portugal. South Atlantic and Southern Ocean: South Africa, Kerguelen and Macquarie islands.
First record: 2015 [23556]: northern boundary of the Laptev Sea (78°04.3 N, 133°24.4 E) Source: www.gbif.org
Human uses
fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; price category: low; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species
fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes; price category: low; price reliability: reliable: based on ex-vessel price for this species
Size / Weight / Age
(800 cm TL [24366], 700-750 cm TL [24365]) [23556] (male/unsexed); max. published weight: 775.0 kg (Ref. 4699)
(800 cm TL [24366], 700-750 cm TL [24365]) [23556] (male/unsexed); max. published weight: 775.0 kg (Ref. 4699)
Remarks
shark-references Species-ID=6497;
shark-references Species-ID=6497;
Parasites (arranged by Jürgen Pollerspöck)
Monogenea
Cestoda
Copepoda
Isopoda
Thecostraca
Monogenea
- Erpocotyle borealis (Van Beneden, 1853) [22564] [22589]
- Erpocotyle somniosi (Causey, 1926) Price, 1942 [17920]
Cestoda
- Hepatoxylon trichiuri (Holten, 1802) [16112]
- Monorygma perfectum (Van Beneden, 1853) [16248] [16443]
- Monorygma sp. [16929]
- Phyllobothrium auricula Van Beneden, 1858 [16443] [16443]
- Phyllobothrium lactuca Van Beneden, 1850 [16443]
- Phyllobothrium magnum Hart, 1936 [16321] [16443]
- Phyllobothrium sp. [16443]
- Phyllobothrium sp. [16443]
- Trilocularia acanthiaevulgaris (Olsson, 1867) [16443]
Copepoda
- Dinemoura ferox (Krøyer, 1838) [7597]
- Ommatokoita elongata (Grant, 1827) [16571] [16606] [12773] [12559]
Isopoda
- Aega arctica Lutken, 1859 [23898]
- Aega crenulata Lutken, 1859 [23898]
- Aega monophthalma Johnston, 1834 [23898]
- Aega psora (Linnaeus, 1758) [23898] [16606]
Thecostraca
- Anelasma squalicola Darwin, 1851 [31771]
Image gallery
