Pi220 Scolidon laticaudus (Spadenose Shark)

 

Pi220                                              Scolidon laticaudus (Spadenose Shark)

 

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Order: Carcharhiniformes

Family: Carcharhinidae

Genus: Scolidon

Species: S. laticaudus

 

Description:

A small, stocky species, the spadenose shark has a broad head with a distinctive, highly flattened, trowel-shaped snout. The eyes and nares are small. The corners of the mouth are well behind the eyes and have poorly developed furrows at the corners. About 25–33 tooth rows are in the upper jaw and 24–34 tooth rows are in the lower jaw; each tooth has a single slender, blade-like, oblique cusp without serrations. The first dorsal fin is positioned closer to the pelvic than the pectoral fins, which are very short and broad. The second dorsal fin is much smaller than the anal fin. No ridge occurs between the dorsal fins. The back is bronze-gray in color, and the belly is white. The fins are plain, but may be darker than the body. The maximum known length is 74 cm (29 in), though unsubstantiated reports indicate individuals reaching 1.2 m (3.9 feet).

 

IUCN Status: