Squalus melanurus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	CHONDRICHTHYES	SQUALIFORMES	SQUALIDAE

Scientific Name:

Squalus melanurus

Species Authority:

Fourmanoir, 1979

Common Name/s:

English

–

Blacktailed Spurdog

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Assessed:	2003
Assessor/s	Fowler, S.L. & Séret, B. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003)
Evaluator/s:	Simpfendorfer, C., Francis, M., Fowler, S. & Musick, J.A. (Shark Red List Authority)
Justification: This species is common all around New Caledonia, off the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield archipelago, on the Norfolk Ridge and off Vanuatu. It has been reported from a wide depth range (34 to 480 m) and there is very limited occurrence of deepsea fisheries within much of its range.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Common all around New Caledonia, also found off the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield archipelago, on the Norfolk Ridge and off Vanuatu.
Countries:	Native: New Caledonia; Vanuatu
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Pacific – western central

Population [top]

Population:	No information on population size.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Occurs on upper insular slopes from 34 to 480 m, where it feeds on a variety of deepwater fishes, also on shrimps and molluscs. A small shark (maximum size approximately 80 cm) that bears live young (at least three pups per litter). Biology poorly known. It is probably, like better-known members of the genus, slow to reach maturity and having a low intrinsic rate of population increase and resilience to fisheries (this is particularly the case for deepwater species).
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

Occurs on upper insular slopes from 34 to 480 m, where it feeds on a variety of deepwater fishes, also on shrimps and molluscs. A small shark (maximum size approximately 80 cm) that bears live young (at least three pups per litter). Biology poorly known. It is probably, like better-known members of the genus, slow to reach maturity and having a low intrinsic rate of population increase and resilience to fisheries (this is particularly the case for deepwater species).

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Not targeted by deepwater fisheries, but may be taken as bycatch, although deep-sea fisheries are very limited in New Caledonia.

Major Threat(s):

Not targeted by deepwater fisheries, but may be taken as bycatch, although deep-sea fisheries are very limited in New Caledonia.

Conservation Actions [top]

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

Conservation Actions:

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

Citation:	Fowler, S.L. & Séret, B. 2003. Squalus melanurus. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 03 December 2008.
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