Shortnose sawshark
| Shortnose sawshark | |
|---|---|
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Pristiophoriformes |
| Family: | Pristiophoridae |
| Genus: | Pristiophorus |
| Species: | P. nudipinnis |
| Binomial name | |
| Pristiophorus nudipinnis Günther, 1870 | |
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| Range of shortnose sawshark (in blue) | |
The shortnose sawshark or southern sawshark Pristiophorus nudipinnis, is a sawshark of the family Pristiophoridae. The body of this shark is slightly compressed, and its rostrum is narrow. The two dorsal fins are almost identical in size. In color, the dorsal side of this sawshark tends to be uniformly slate gray, with few or no markings. The ventral side is pale white or cream. Females reach around 124 cm (49 in) long, and males reach around 110 cm (43 in) long. These sharks can live to be up to 9 years old.
Habitat and Range
The shortnose sawshark is found on the continental shelf of the eastern and southern coast of Australia at depths of between 37 and 70 m. While the range covers most of the southeastern coast of Australia, the population is particularly concentrated around Tasmania and the province of Victoria.
Behavior
Leading a benthic lifestyle, the shortnose sawshark primarily feeds on benthic invertebrates and small bony fish. Like other sawsharks, this species' reproduction is ovoviviparous. It gives birth biannually to a litter of 7-14 pups. The size of pups at birth is about 35 cm (14 in).
Conservation
Because of stable commercial catch rates, reduced Total Allowable Catch, protection in Victorian waters, and a high rate of biological productivity, the shortnose sawshark is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List. While the shortnose sawhark is fairly popular commercially, the largest threat to the species is actually being caught as bycatch in gillnet operations. Because of its habitat, size, and behavior, this species is considered to be harmless to humans.
References
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2006). "Pristiophorus nudipinnis" in FishBase. May 2006 version.