Fun Smooth-hound Shark Facts For Kids
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Here, we have carefully collected all the finest information about wonderful sharks, the smooth-hound sharks. These species of shark belong to the Mustelus genus of the family Triakidae.
Though the smoothhound is found in the ocean depths, with the help of their dorsal fin, they appear near the coast during the time of mating or reproduction. A small shark like the smoothhound can be found in all the major oceans and seas of the world.
And thus their habitat distribution range is primarily of the marine type.
These sharks are known to prey on fishes, shrimp, and squids which form a majority of their diet along with other related marine life. These sharks have a snout and slender body.
The dorsal fins are infringed and the ventral caudal lobe of these sharks is semi-falcate in nature. These sharks are often plagued by humans and human activities like habitat destruction and climate change which pose great harm.
If you find our content interesting then do check out these Horn sharks and Zebra sharks facts.
Smooth-Hound Shark Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a smooth-hound shark?
The smooth-hound shark is a type of shark that belongs to the family Triakidae.
What class of animal does a smooth-hound shark belong to?
Just like all other sharks and cartilaginous fishes of the world, the smooth-hound shark too belongs to the class of Chondrichthyes of the Animalia kingdom.
How many smooth-hound sharks are there in the world?
It is very difficult to make an estimate of the total number of smoothhound sharks that are present currently on our planet. There are 28 recognized species of the smooth-hound shark and thus, an exact number of their population is very difficult to obtain.
However, the population distribution range of some species of the smooth-hound shark has been constantly on the decline due to humans and human activities, including the likes of the starry smoothhound and starspotted smooth-hound.
Where does a smooth-hound shark live?
The 28 recognized species of smooth-hounds are spread all over the globe and thus can be found in all the major seas and oceans of the globe. For example, the distribution range of the common smooth-hounds is in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea while the starry smooth-hound is found in the North Sea.
What is a smooth-hound shark's habitat?
The smooth-hound sharks are usually found in bays and near the shores. The preferred habitat of these is the waters over the continental shelves, usually at a depth of 6-150 ft (1.8-45.7 m) of the water level.
Who do smooth-hound sharks live with?
Smooth-hound sharks are not solitary animals and are seen in the company of other sharks of the same species. These sharks always live and travel together and are thus termed hound sharks.
How long does a smooth-hound shark live?
The smooth-hound shark has a relatively small lifespan in comparison with sharks out in the wild. Typically, these sharks tend to live for around six to nine years.
How do they reproduce?
Not much is known about the reproduction of the smooth-hound sharks as there are almost 28 recognized species and all have different mating behavior and reproductive processes. Generally, the females have a gestation period of almost eleven months which takes place after ovulation and mating.
Mating between males and females usually takes place near the shores during spring when the temperatures are usually cooler and after mating, these sharks are known to migrate deep into the seas and ocean regions.
What is their conservation status?
All the 28 species of the shallow-hound sharks have their own respective conservation statuses as listed down by the International Union for Conservation of Nature or the IUCN Red List.
The Gulf of Mexico smooth-hound and the Sicklefin smooth-hounds are listed as species of Least Concern, the common smooth-hound and the Venezuelan dwarf smooth-hounds are Endangered species, while the sharptooth smooth-hound and the blackspotted smooth-hound are listed as Vulnerable species.
Just like the conservation status, the population trends are also specified for every species.
Smooth-Hound Shark Fun Facts
What do smooth-hound sharks look like?
The characteristic feature of these sharks is a short head with a snout and a slender body that is brownish or gray in color. The dorsal fins are infringed, while the ventral caudal lobe of smoothhound sharks is semi-falcate in nature.
In general, a common smooth-hound usually has a pair of dorsal fins and a pair of pectoral fins, along with a single anal fin.
*We've been unable to source an image of smooth-hound shark and have used an image of zebra shark instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of smooth-hound shark, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at hello@kidadl.com
How cute are they?
Sharks are often considered hideous animals by many people. However, these sharks are often considered adorable and cute by animal lovers and marine biologists.
How do they communicate?
It is assumed that the smooth-hound sharks communicate with one another just like other species of sharks. Sharks tend to use all their sensory organs like sight, smell, taste, and others as an effective means of communicating with each other. Sharks also use the process of gaping in communicating with other animals of different species.
How big is a smooth-hound shark?
These sharks attain a length of 5.2 ft (158.4 cm) with males of some species being smaller than females. In comparison with the gray-reef shark, 6.2 ft (189 cm), we can say that the latter is slightly larger in length.
How fast can a smooth-hound shark swim?
Owing to very limited research, the exact speed at which a smoothhound shark species swim is currently unknown. Sharks, in general, achieve speeds of around 31 mph (50 kph) in short sprints or bursts.
How much does a smooth-hound shark weigh?
An average smoothhound shark weighs roughly around 29 lb (13 kg).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There is no distinct name that is used to differentiate between the sex of this species of animal.
What would you call a baby smooth-hound shark?
Baby sharks are referred to as pups and thus for a baby smooth-hound shark, it will be known as a smooth-hound pup.
What do they eat?
Sharks are carnivorous animals; they catch other marine animals. The smooth-hound shark too is no exception to that and their diet includes the likes of small-length fishes, shrimps, squids, worms, and other related aquatic animals.
Are they dangerous?
These are small sharks that are not known to attack any human beings. And thus we can conclude by saying that these sharks possess no harm to humans. However, these sharks catch and feed on fish and can be big potential harm for any large or small school of fish.
Would they make a good pet?
It would be unwise to keep these sharks as pets. First of all, these are wild animals and thus should be kept out in the open.
Many species of these sharks are Endangered, Vulnerable, or Near Threatened and thus require utmost conservation and protection. Secondly, in some parts of the world, it would be illegal to keep these animals as pets. Lastly, in comparison to pet fishes, these sharks are quite large in size and thus would not fit your normal tanks.
Did you know...
These sharks are known to have very weak cusps and teeth that are crowned low.
The smooth dogfish aka the dusky smoothhound is also a member of this genus.
How did the smooth-hound shark get its name?
The etymology of the smooth-hound shark lies in the scientific name of its genus, i.e Mustelus. This word of Latin origin means weasel. These sharks also have a tendency of forming close groups and staying and traveling together like a hound, thereby giving them the name.
When was the smooth-hound shark discovered?
No information is known about the discovery of these sharks. However, the taxonomic history of this species dates back to the year 1790, when the genus name Mustelus was used by H.F. Linck.
Over the years, more species of smooth-hound sharks were formally named. For instance, the dusky smooth-hound shark was scientifically named by the naturalist Samuel Latham Mitchill in the year 1815.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these nurse shark facts and salmon shark facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable baby shark coloring pages.
The main image is owned by Johan Lantz.
The second image is owned by Daniel Sasse.
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