About
The sharpfin houndshark is an extremely rare shark, known from only two specimens.
Virtually nothing is known about the biology or range of this elusive houndshark. It has been found in a very small area off the coast of Ecuador. It is known from only two adult individuals caught inshore, one female 102cm long and one male 90cm long. Due to the low number of reports in landings among small-scale fisheries throughout the coast of Ecuador -including shark fisheries- the IUCN estimates that the population of the sharpfin houndshark is very small.
The main threats to this species include unregulated and illegal fisheries, there are several small-scale fisheries operating around Ecuador.
According to the IUCN, more research is urgently needed in order to fully understand the species and due to its small population size more immediate conservation action may also be needed.
- Order: Carcharhiniformes
- Family: Triakidae
- Population: <2500 individuals
- Trend: decreasing
- Size: 102cm (?)
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species has only been found in tropical waters of the Province of Manabí in Ecuador. The species range has been inferred from landing data, but due to the small number of recorded individuals and specimens, the range might change with new reports.
Habitat and Ecology
Nothing is known about the habitat and ecology of this enigmatic houndshark. It is likely that its biology and ecology show strong similarities with other species in the Triakis genus, which are usually aplacental viviparous and feed on invertebrates and bony fishes.
