Latin name

Chaenogaleus macrostoma

Other name

Chaenogaleus macrostoma

Identification

The hooktooth shark has a slender body and elongated snout. The large oval eyes are horizontally elongated and have flashing membranes. There are tiny spiracles behind the eyes. The gill slits are very long, 1.8-2.1 times the length of the eye. The mouth has the shape of a long parabola. The length of the mouth is 66-82% of its width. The lower jaw is rounded at the symphysis. The corners of the mouth are furrowed. The long, hook-shaped lower teeth are visible even when the mouth is closed. The tip of each upper tooth is bent towards the corner of the mouth and has lateral denticles (only on this side); there are no serrations on either the lower or upper teeth. 

Features of fish fins

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. 

The first dorsal fin is quite large, with its base between the bases of the pectoral and ventral fins. The second dorsal fin is 2/3 the size of the first. Its base is above the base of the anal fin. The anal fin is considerably smaller than either dorsal fin. There is a small ventral notch at the top of the caudal fin. 

Fish colouring

The colouration of these fish is light grey to bronze without markings. In preservatives they become greyish or greyish brown, the dorsal fins often with dark or black tips.

Distribution

Widespread in the Indian Ocean and the north-western and central-western parts of the Pacific Ocean - in the Persian Gulf, off the coasts of Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Taiwan and Indonesia (Java, Sulawesi). 

Habitat

A tropical marine bottom dweller. They are found at depths of up to 59m.

Size

The maximum recorded size of this species is 150 cm with a weight of up to 12 kg. 

Behavior

A common coastal shark that inhabits continental and island shelves.

Food and feeding habits

The diet of the hooktooth shark is thought to consist of small bony fish, cephalopods and crustaceans.

Reproduction

Hooktooth sharks reproduce by placental birth. Newborns are about 20cm long. There can be up to 4 pups in a litter. Males reach sexual maturity at a length of 83-97 cm. 

Fishing

These sharks are caught by artisanal fishermen off the coast of Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They are caught using bottom-set nets and longlines. The species is heavily fished throughout its range and is vulnerable to overfishing. It is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Relationship with a person

The species is not dangerous to humans. The meat is eaten as food and the waste is used to make fishmeal. The fins are not highly valued due to their small size.