Kitefin shark

How it lives

A deep-water shark of outer continental and island slopes, found from 37 to 1,800 m (121 to 5,900 ft) and most often at about 300 to 600 m (FishBase). It usually stays near the bottom but sometimes moves up into open water. It gives birth to live young, usually 10 to 16 pups, about 30 to 45 cm long (Wikipedia, Animal Diversity Web). Generation length is estimated at about 29 years. The lower teeth are large, knife-shaped and serrated and link together into a cutting edge, while the upper teeth are small and spiked (Wikipedia).

Where it goes

It lives in tropical and warm-temperate seas almost worldwide, apart from the eastern Pacific and northern Indian Ocean (Wikipedia). Seasonal movements were not covered in the sources I read.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Worldwide: Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (assessed July 2017, FishBase). Wikipedia notes documented declines and overfishing, including the collapse of the Azores fishery. Most commercial fishing has been by Portugal and Japan, and the shark is also caught as bycatch. Its liver is used for squalene oil, and its skin and flesh are also used (Animal Diversity Web). Regional counts were not read.