Dumb gulper shark

Dumb gulper shark
Conservation status
Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Order:	Squaliformes
Family:	Centrophoridae
Genus:	Centrophorus
Species:	C. harrissoni
Binomial name
Centrophorus harrissoni McCulloch, 1915
Range of dumb gulper shark (in blue)

Sharks portal

The dumb gulper shark, Centrophorus harrissoni, is a rare deepwater dogfish, known from only two locations, one around Taiwan and the other along the East Coast of Australia. It is also known as harrison's deepsea dogfish. It may grow to be 43in (109 cm) long and has large, green eyes which help it see at 820 to 1260 feet (250 to 385 metres) under water.

The Dumb Gulper Shark is also known as Centrophorus harrissoni. The Dumb Gulper Shark is found on the east coast of Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania and it has also been recorded off New Zealand. Its habitat is located over the middle and upper continental shelf. Dumb Gulper Sharks live in the deep waters which is normally about 290 to 790 meters. They are similar to other species of sharks in appearance which includes the Little Gulper. Females produce about one to two pups a year or every other year. Their average age that they can live up to is 46 years and can even live to be older than that. These sharks eat mostly small fish and crustaceans. The population size is unknown, but in the 1970’s there has been at least a 99% decrease in population within some areas. This species is harvested for meat and liver oil, but the low reproductive rate, late age of maturity and long lifespan typical of these sharks means that species such as the dumb gulper shark are unable to recover quickly after depletion. They call this harvesting Demersal trawling or droplining. There is action being taken to preserve the dumb gulper share which includes being incorporated into the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, which means there has to be a plan to keep this species safe.

This species may be the same as Centrophorus uyato.

References

• IUCN 2006: Centrophorus harrissoni

ARKIVE[1] IUCN[2]

Links

• Scientists delighted to find rare shark off the east coast of Flinders Island, Tasmania.