Striped smooth-hound

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Striped smooth-hound
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Triakidae
Genus: Mustelus
Species: M. fasciatus
Binomial name
Mustelus fasciatus
(Garman, 1913)

The striped smooth-hound, Mustelus fasciatus, is a houndshark of the family Triakidae, found on the continental shelves of the subtropical southwest Atlantic from southern Brazil to northern Argentina between latitudes 30° S and 47° S, from the surface to 250 m. Its length is up to 1.5 m.

Striped smooth-hounds have very small eyes, and teeth that have rounded crowns with no cusps. New-born striped smooth-hounds are found on beaches of between 1 and 5 m depth, while juveniles occupy inshore waters at between 15 and 50 m, and adults are found down to 50 m and on upper slopes of up to 250 m in depth. It presumably feeds on crustaceans and other benthic invertebrates. It is utilized fresh-frozen and dried salted for human consumption.

Reproduction is Ovoviviparous, with length at birth up to 39 cm.

Coloration is brown dorsally with narrow transverse bands of darker separated spaces, fading with age. There is a yellow spot in front of each eye above each orbit. The fins are dark with narrow edgings lighter. Lower surfaces whitish.

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