Pacific sleeper shark
📖 Overview
Demersal and mesobenthopelagic ; found on continental shelves and slopes . At high latitudes, they occasionally occur in littoral and even intertidal areas; in lower latitudes ithey may never come to the surface and down to at least 2,000 m , reported to about 2,205 m in the Hawaiian Is. as recorded by camera arrays . They feed on bottom animals such as fishes, octopi, squids, crabs and tritons; also harbor seals and carrion . Ovoviviparous , with 300 pups in a litter , length at birth about 42 cm or less . The flesh contains a type of toxin which, when eaten, produces symptoms of drunkenness . Possibly reaches lengths greater than 700 cm . It is of limited importance in fisheries, with older small-scale commercial harvests reported in southern areas; and based on its population dynamics it can be sensitive to overfishing .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: Somniosus pacificus differs from S. antarcticus by the following characters: interdorsal space about 70% of prebranchial length (vs. 80%); height of first dorsal fin about 3.7% of precaudal length (PCL) (vs. 3.0%); height of second dorsal fin about 3.4% of PCL (vs. 2.9%); number of turns in spiral valve 32-37 (mode 33) (vs. 36-41, mode 39); precaudal vertebrae 28-30 (mode 29) (vs. 30-31, mode 30) . : elongated.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Pacific sleeper shark is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Pacific sleeper shark is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Probably ovoviviparous . Size at birth 42 cm or less . Distinct pairing with embrace .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; benthopelagic; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 2205 m . Boreal; 72°N - 23°N, 121°E - 110°W North Pacific and Arctic: Taiwan to Japan and Kuril Islands, Sea of Okhotsk, southeastern Kamchatka, Commander and Aleutian Islands, and southern Baja California to Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Sea.
🌿 Ecology
bottom animals such as fishes, octopi, squids, crabs and tritons; also harbor seals and carrion (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) — 3 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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