Gollum attenuatus

– Least Concern

Taxonomy

Kingdom:

ANIMALIA

Phylum:

CHORDATA

Class:

CHONDRICHTHYES

Order:

CARCHARHINIFORMES

Family:

PSEUDOTRIAKIDAE

Scientific Name:

Gollum attenuatus

Species Authority:

(Garrick 1954)

Common Name/s:

English

—

SLENDER SMOOTHHOUND

Taxonomic Notes:

This species has been reported from New Caledonia in an unpublished checklist of fishes. However, the specimens from there represent an undescribed species of Gollum. A second undescribed species occurs at the Philippines (L.J.V. Compagno pers. comm.).

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria:	LC ver 3.1 (2001)
Year Assessed:	2003
Assessor/s:	Francis, M.P. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003)
Evaluator/s:	Fowler, S., Kyne, P.M. & Cavanagh, R.D. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification:	Gollum attenuatus is endemic to New Zealand and adjacent oceanic ridges, and taken as bycatch in bottom trawl fisheries. Fecundity is extremely low (two pups/litter), but there is no information on population size or status. However, large parts of the species’ range (Norfolk and Three Kings Ridges) are outside the fished areas, suggesting that there is a relatively unfished reservoir. Should these areas become fished in future, the status could move quickly towards a threatened category.

Geographic Range

Range Description:	New Zealand and ridges to the north (Norfolk Ridge, Three Kings Ridge). Depth range 129 to 724 m, with greatest abundance in 300 to 600 m.
Countries:	Native: New Zealand
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific-southwest

Population

Population Trend:

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology:

Found on flat plateaux to steep slopes on the upper to mid continental slope. Trawled over open, soft seabed, but may also occur over rocky habitats. Food is varied including sharks, teleosts, gastropods, squid, crustaceans and brittle stars. Length at maturity of both sexes is 70 cm total length (TL), and maximum length of 110 cm TL. Litter size is usually two embryos, which are born at about 40 cm TL.

System:

Marine

List of Habitats:

10.1	Marine Oceanic - Epipelagic (0-200m)

Threats

Threats:

Caught as bycatch by bottom trawlers and bottom longliners in New Zealand waters. Fishing effort on the ridges north of New Zealand is probably low, and catches therefore minimal.

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions:

There are currently no conservation measures in place for this species.

List of Conservation Actions:

0	No conservation actions (in place)
3.2	Research actions - Population numbers and range (needed)
3.4	Research actions - Habitat status (needed)
3.5	Research actions - Threats (needed)

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Anderson, O.F., Bagley, N.W., Hurst, R.J., Francis, M.P., Clark, M.R. and McMillan, P.J. 1998. Atlas of New Zealand fish and squid distributions from research bottom trawls. NIWA Technical Report 42. NIWA, Wellington. 303 pp.

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. FAO Fish. Synop. No. 125, vol. 4.

Compagno, L.J.V. and Niem, V.H. 1998. Proscylliidae. In: K.E. Carpenter and V.H.Niem (eds). FAO species identification guide for fishery purposes. The living marine resources of the western central Pacific. Vol 2. Cephalopods, crustaceans, holothurians and sharks. FAO, Rome.

Cox, G. and Francis, M. 1997. Sharks and rays of New Zealand. Canterbury University Press, Christchurch.

Shark Specialist Group. For more information, see the Specialist Group website.

Yano, K. 1993a Reproductive biology of the slender smoothhound, Gollum attenuatus, collected from New Zealand waters. Environmental Biology of Fishes 38: 59-71.

Yano, K. 1993b. Distribution and food habits of the slender smoothhound, Gollum attenuatus, from the waters around New Zealand. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 39: 345-356.

Citation:	Francis, M.P. 2003. Gollum attenuatus. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 29 August 2008.
Disclaimer:	To make use of this information, please check the Copyright and Data Disclaimer.
Feedback:	If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided.