Common Name
Taiwan Gulper Shark
Year Described
Teng, 1959
Identification
Body is elongate with a broad, short snout. There are two dorsal fins, the first long and high, both possessing a grooved spine on the anterior margin. Origin of the first dorsal is over axil of the pectoral fin. Snout length is equal to mouth width. Anterior nasal flap is short. Teeth in lower jaw are broader than upper and are blade-like without cusplets. The five gill slits are equal in size. Pectoral fin is rather short with a short elongate rear margin, usually not extending beyond the first dorsal fin spine. Anal fin is absent. Pelvic fins set far back on body, anterior to second dorsal. The caudal fin is long with a well-developed sub-terminal notch and a poorly developed ventral lobe. Posterior margin of tail nearly straight. Eye is large. Rough skin has low, narrow, and teardrop shaped denticles (no pedicels) with a narrow cusp.
Color
Dark gray to gray-brown grading to whitish below. Fins dusky.
Size
A large species: mature adults from 90-140 cm. Maximum size 170 cm.
Habitat
Outer continental shelf and upper slope from 98-1000 m, usually 250-720 m. Feeds on bony fishes, small sharks, and invertebrates. Ovoviviparous (1-6 young).
Range
New England to Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico. Also the Bahamas.
References
Castro, J.I. 2011. The Sharks of North America. Oxford University Press, 640 pp.
Clerkin, A.V. & C.F. Cotton. 2013. Revision of the genus Centrophorus (Squaliformes: Centrophoridae): Part 1 — Redescription of Centrophorus granulosus (Bloch & Schneider), a senior synonym of C. acus Garman and C. niaukang Teng. Zootaxa, 3752(1), 35-72.
Compagno, L., M. Dando, and S. Fowler. 2005. Sharks of the World. Princeton University Press, 480 pp.
Other Notes
This species was formerly known as Centrophorus niaukang, but all large western Atlantic gulpers were identified as C. granulosus as per Clerkin & Cotton (2013).