Dalatias licha Shark Jaws
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Squaliformes
Species: Dalatias licha
Common Name: Kitefin Shark
The kitefin shark was first described as Squalus licha by Bonnaterre in 1788. This name was later changed to Dalatias licha (Bonnaterre 1788). Synonyms used to refer to this species in past scientific literature include Squalus americanus Gmelin 1789, Squalus nicaeensis Risso 1810, Scymnus vulgaris Cloquet 1822, Squalus scymnus Voigt 1832, Scymnorhinus phillippsi Whitley 1931, Pseudoscymnus boshuensis Herre 1935, Scymnorhinus brevipinnis Smith 1936, and Dalatias tachiensis Shen & Ting 1972. English language common names for Dalatias licha are kitefin shark, black shark, darkie charlie, and seal shark.
The distribution of the kitefin shark ranges from Georges Bank, the east coast of Florida, northern Gulf of Mexico, and off the southern Bahamas in the western Atlantic Ocean. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, this shark is found from the North Sea southward to Cameroon, including the western Mediterranean Sea. It is also found in the central and western Pacific Ocean and the southwestern Indian Ocean.
This shark is a solitary, epibenthic species found in tropical and warm-temperate regions. They are most commonly found in the deepest shelf and upper slope waters, usually at depths of 656-1,970 feet (200-600 m), but have been taken from depths of 121-5,900 feet (37-1,800 m). The kitefin shark is moderately sized with a short, conical, and blunt snout. The gill openings are short and the mouth is mildly arched with thick lips. The first dorsal fin originates just behind the rear tips of the short rounded pectoral fins. The dorsal fin base is closer to the pectoral fins than the pelvic fin bases. The second dorsal fin is slightly larger than the first, originating posteriorly on the body, over the midpelvic bases. The large upper caudal lobe has a well-developed subterminal notch with an essentially nonexistent lower lobe. There is no anal fin, lateral keels, or precaudal pits on the kitefin shark. Sometimes confused with the Portuguese shark (Centroscymnus coelolepis), the kitefin appears similar to this species due to the sizes and positions of the fins and denticles. However, the dorsal fins of the kitefin shark lack spines. The Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is a much larger species and has a greatly expanded ventral lobe of the caudal fin and strongly oblique, smooth-edged lower teeth that form a cutting edge.Uniformly dark chocolate brown, grayish black, cinnamon, or violet brown in color, the kitefin shark often has poorly defined black spots on the dorsal surface. There is a lack of obvious black markings above the pelvic fins, ventrally on the caudal penduncle, or laterally on the upper caudal lobe. The fin margins are white or translucent, and the tail is tipped with black.
| Size | Item # | Price | ||
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3 1/2" X 2 1/2" | SEAL1 | $155.00 |