Home · Centrophoridae · Little gulper shark
Little gulper shark (Centrophorus uyato) — Centrophoridae

Little gulper shark

Centrophorus uyato
EN · Endangered

The Little gulper shark (Centrophorus uyato) is a saltwater fish of the family Centrophoridae that grows up to 110 cm.

Length
110 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
50.0–1400.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
May bite
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

The little gulper shark is a slender deep-sea shark of the family Centrophoridae (gulper sharks) reaching about 1.1 metres. The grey-brown, streamlined body has large, green-shining eyes and a grooved spine before each dorsal fin; an anal fin is absent, as in all dogfish sharks. The species lives on soft bottoms and slopes of the deeper continental slope in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. There it hunts deep-sea fish, squid and crustaceans. It is long-lived and reproduces very slowly, with small litters of live-born young. Through fishing for its oil-rich liver and as bycatch it has declined sharply and is assessed as Endangered (EN).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Little gulper shark?

The Little gulper shark has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Little gulper shark live?

The Little gulper shark lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Little gulper shark get?

The Little gulper shark grows to a maximum of about 110 cm.

Is the Little gulper shark dangerous to humans?

The Little gulper shark can bite, but is otherwise not dangerous to humans.

Is the Little gulper shark edible?

The Little gulper shark is rarely eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Kleine zee-egelhaai inferred
English name
Little gulper shark verified
Scientific name
Centrophorus uyato
Family
Centrophoridae
Other names
Endeavour dogs; Endeavour shark; Little gulper shark; Little Gulper Shark verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
110.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped verified
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Crescent (lunate) inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater verified
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom verified
Min depth (m)
50.0 verified
Max depth (m)
1400.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Small groups verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten verified
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
May bite verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Centrophorus

More from the family Centrophoridae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →