Common Smooth-hound

Mustelus mustelus

Conservation status :

Vulnerable species

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Group

Chondrichthyes

Vertebrates
Size

1 centimetre
Distribution area

This shark lives in the Mediterranean and along the eastern shores of the Atlantic, from the British Isles to South Africa.

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Living near the ocean floor, the smooth-hound can typically be found close to the coastline. It sometimes ventures out into open water, up to 350 m deep.

This species is viviparous (live-bearing). After 10 to 12 months of gestation, the female gives birth to 4 to 20 young sharks measuring close to 40 cm each.

Houndsharks feed mostly at night, on bottom-dwelling creatures. Their young primarily hunt crustaceans. Their short, flattened teeth allow them to crush their prey's exoskeletons. The adults also feed on cuttlefish and bony fish.

« The names of both houndsharks and dogfish make reference to dogs. This seems to stem from the fact that these sharks often travel and hunt in a group, like a pack of dogs. »

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