Squaliolus aliae, Smalleye pygmy shark

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Squaliolus aliae Teng, 1959

Smalleye pygmy shark
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Squaliolus aliae   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Squaliolus aliae (Smalleye pygmy shark)
Squaliolus aliae
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Squaliformes (Sleeper and dogfish sharks) > Dalatiidae (Sleeper sharks)
Etymology: Squaliolus: Diminutive of squalus (L.), a sea-fish, usually applied to sharks, referring to small size of S. laticaudus. (See ETYFish);  aliae: In honor of the Teng’s wife Huang A-li, for her “cordial help and constant encouragement” [originally spelled alii; since name honors a woman, aliae reflects the correct gender]. (See ETYFish).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; bathypelagic; depth range 200 - 2000 m (Ref. 6871). Deep-water

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Pacific: Japan to Australia (off northwestern Australia and New South Wales).

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 15 - ? cm
Max length : 22.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 6871)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 1; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. The smalleye pygmy shark, Squaliolus aliae, is a very small dogfish (about 22cm) characterized by its small eye, with diameter about 46-70% of interorbital width, and with upper margin angular and chevron-shaped; upper lip with a pair of prominent lateral papillae (rarely indistinct) (Ref. 31367, 6871).Colour: dark brown to black, fin margins pale (Ref. 6871). Squaliolus are the only sharks with a fin spine on its first dorsal fin (spine sometimes concealed by skin) but not on its second dorsal fin; second dorsal fin long-based and low, about twice the length of the first dorsal fin base; first dorsal-fin base closer to pectoral fins than to pelvic fins; and caudal fin nearly symmetrical, with subterminal notch present (Ref. 247, 6871).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Possibly the smallest living shark (Ref. 6871). Found near continental and island land masses (Ref. 31367). Feeds mainly on cephalopods and small midwater bony fishes (Ref. 6871). Probably makes diurnal vertical migrations from within 200 m of the surface at night down to about 2,000 m during the day (Ref. 6871). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 6871).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205). Ovoviviparous but litter size unknown (Ref. 6871). Males mature at 15 cm (Ref. 31367).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Collaborators

Last, P.R. and J.D. Stevens, 1994. Sharks and rays of Australia. CSIRO, Australia. 513 p. (Ref. 6871)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 13 May 2015

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 4.6 - 10.1, mean 6.5 °C (based on 559 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.7520   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00372 (0.00141 - 0.00976), b=3.12 (2.89 - 3.35), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.4   ±0.57 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec assumed to be <100).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (12 of 100).