A small, very slim shark with a long, narrow snout, big eyes with rear notches, short labial furrows, and small, oblique-cusped teeth with smooth edges; 2nd dorsal fin small, low and behind larger anal fin; interdorsal ridge rudimentary or absent. Grey above, pale below, fins with pale edges (transparent in life), caudal and first dorsal fins with narrow dark margin, first dorsal fin also with a dusky tip.

Biology

Length: It reaches a maximum size of 99 cm total length (TL), males mature at 62–66 cm TL and females mature at 79 cm TL. Size-at-birth of 40–45 cm TL.

Gestation Period: Unknown

Litter Size: 2-4 pups

Life Expectancy: Female age-at-maturity is 1.4 years and maximum age is 8.9 years; generation length is therefore 5.15 years.

Diet: Feeds on small bony fishes, shrimps and cuttlefish.

Habitat and distribution

Habitat: The Sliteye Shark is demersal on continental and insular shelves.

Distribution: The Sliteye Shark occurs from eastern South Africa to southern Japan and the Australian east coast, that is, it ranges across the Indian Ocean and Northwest and Western Central Pacific.

Depth: 2-120 m

Landing sites: New Ferry Wharf, Junglighat, Burmanallah, Wandoor, and Dignabad

Commercial Value

The species is used for its meat which is often consumed fresh but also dried and salted for domestic sales or trade with neighbouring countries. Fins are not considered valuable due to their small size but are still traded internationally.

Threats

The Sliteye Shark is rarely targeted but is captured as bycatch in industrial and small-scale fisheries by multiple fishing gears including trawl, gillnet, hook and line, and longline. The species is generally retained for the meat and to a lesser extent, for the low value fins.

References

Arai, T. and Azri, A. (2019) 
Diversity, occurrence and conservation of sharks in the southern South China Sea. PLoS ONE 14(3): e0213864.

Blaber, S., Dichmont, C.M., White, W.T., Buckworth, R.C., Sadiyah, L., Iskandar, B., Nurhakim, S., Pillans, R.D., Andamari, R., Dharmadi and Fahmi (2009) 
Elasmobranchs in southern Indonesian fisheries: the fisheries, the status of the stocks and management options. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries 19: 367–391.

Cardeñosa, D., Shea, K.H., Zhang, H., Feldheim, K., Fischer, G.A. and Chapman, D.D. (2020) 
Small fins, large trade: a snapshot of the species composition of low‐value shark fins in the Hong Kong markets. Animal Conservation 23: 203–211.

Ebert, D.A., Fowler, S. and Compagno, L. (2013) 
Sharks of the World. A Fully Illustrated Guide. Wild Nature Press, Plymouth, United Kingdom.

Gutteridge, A.N., Huveneers, C., Marshall, L.J., Tibbetts, I.R. and Bennett, M.B. (2013) 
Life-history traits of a small-bodied coastal shark. Marine and Freshwater Research 64: 54–65.

Jabado, R.W., Al Ghais, S.M., Hamza, W., Henderson, A.C., Spaet, J.L.Y., Shivji, M.S. and Hanner, R.H. (2015b) 
The trade in sharks and their products in the United Arab Emirates. Biological Conservation 181: 190–198.

Krajangdara, T. (2019) 
Sharks and Rays of Thailand. Country Report. Department of Fisheries, Thailand.

Last, P.R. and Stevens, J.D. (2009) 
Sharks and Rays of Australia. Second Edition. CSIRO Publishing, Collingwood.

Psomadakis, P.N., Htun Thein, Russell, B.C. and Mya Than Tun (2019) Field identification guide to the living marine resources of Myanmar. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO and MOALI, Rome.

Stevens, J.D. and McLoughlin, K.J. (1991) 
Distribution, size and sex composition, reproductive biology and diet of sharks from northern Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 42:151-199.

Compagno, L.J.V. and V.H. Niem (1998) 
Carcharhinidae. Requiem sharks. p. 1312-1360. In K.E. Carpenter and V.H. Niem (eds.) FAO Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO, Rome.

Compagno, L.J.V., D.A. Ebert and M.J. Smale (1989) 
Guide to the sharks and rays of southern Africa. New Holland (Publ.) Ltd., London. 158 p.

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. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO.