The New Zealand cunya shark [1] ( Mustelus lenticulatus ) is a species of cartilaginous fish of the genus common marten sharks of the family marten sharks of the order Carchariformes . Endemic to the Southwest Pacific . Propagated by placental live birth . The maximum recorded length is 1.37 m. There is no danger to humans. The diet consists mainly of crustaceans . The meat is eaten. The species was first scientifically described in 1932 [2] .
| New Zealand Kunya Shark |
| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| View: | New Zealand Kunya Shark |
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| International scientific name |
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Mustelus lenticulatus ( Phillipps , 1932) |
| Area |
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| Security status |
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Least ConcernedIUCN 3.1 Least Concern : 39356 |
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Content
New Zealand cunny sharks live in the southwestern Pacific Ocean off the coast of New Zealand. from. They are found on the continental shelf and in river estuaries at a depth of up to 860 m [3] , most often at 400 m [4] .
New Zealand marten sharks have a short head, an elongated, blunt muzzle and a rather slender body. The distance from the tip of the muzzle to the base of the pectoral fins is from 17% to 21% of the total body length. Relatively large oval eyes are elongated horizontally. At the corners of the short mouth there are labial grooves. The upper furrows are longer than the lower. The length of the mouth is comparable to the length of the eye and is 2.6-3.5% of the body length. Pointed asymmetric teeth are equipped with a central point and lateral teeth. The distance between the dorsal fins is 18-24% of the body length. The pectoral fins are rather large, the length of the anterior margin is 12-16%, and the posterior margin is 8.7-17% of the total length, respectively. The length of the anterior margin of the ventral fins is 7.2–8.7% of the total body length. Anal fin height 2.7–4.3% of the total length. The first dorsal fin has an almost triangular shape, it is larger than the second dorsal fin. Its base is located between the base of the pectoral and ventral fins. The base of the second dorsal fin is located in front of the base of the anal fin. Anal fin smaller than both dorsal fins. There is a ventral recess at the edge of the upper lobe of the caudal fin. The color is gray or gray-brown, sometimes the belly is light. Numerous bright spots are scattered on the back [5] [6] .
Females are larger than males, the average size of females is 151 cm, while males grow to an average of 126 cm. New Zealand marten sharks grow rapidly and reach puberty at 5-8 years of age. Life expectancy is at least 15 years. This species is propagated by live birth . Pregnancy lasts about 11 months. The length of newborns is about 20–32 cm. The number of offspring directly depends on the size of the mother. In the litter from 2 to 37 newborns, an average of 11. Adult females bring offspring annually, having only a short period of rest between pregnancies (1-2 months). Mating, ovulation and childbirth occur mainly in spring and early summer. Small bays and protected coastal waters serve as natural nurseries. Young sharks remain in the nurseries for the summer until the fall, and then swim to the depths [7] [8] .
The diet of these sharks consists mainly of crustaceans , and to a lesser extent mollusks and other bottom invertebrates [5] .
It is not dangerous to humans. It is an object of commercial fishing. The meat is eaten. In 1978, these sharks accounted for 5% of New Zealand's total catch. These sharks are caught using gillnets and trawls. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has assigned this species the status of “Least Concerned” [9] .
- ↑ Reshetnikov Yu.S. , Kotlyar A.N. , Russ T.S. , Shatunovsky M.I. The Bilingual Dictionary of Animal Names. Fish. Latin, Russian, English, German, French. / edited by Acad. V. E. Sokolova . - M .: Rus. Yaz., 1989 .-- S. 29 .-- 12,500 copies. - ISBN 5-200-00237-0 .
- ↑ Phillipps WJ 1932 Notes on new fishes from New Zealand. Ichthyological Exploration of Freshwaters v. 13 (no. 4): 226-234.
- ↑ Cox, G. and M. Francis, 1997. Sharks and rays of New Zealand. Canterbury Univ. Press, Univ. of Canterbury. 68 p.
- ↑ McMillan, PJ, MP Francis, GD James, LJ Paul, PJ Marriott, E. Mackay, BA Wood, LH Griggs, H. Sui and F. Wei, 2011. New Zealand fishes. Volume 1: A field guide to common species caught by bottom and midwater fishing. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 68.332 p.
- ↑ 1 2 Fowler, HW, 1949. The fishes of Oceania. Supplement 3. Mem. Bernice P. Bishop Mus., 12 (2): 37-186 lY4Y
- ↑ Heemstra, PC, 1973. A revision of the shark genus Mustelus (Squaliformes Carcharhinidae). University of Miami, Ph.D.Thesis, 187 p. (unpubl.)
- ↑ Francis, MP and Francis, RICC 1992. Growth rate estimates for New Zealand rig (Mustelus lenticulatus). Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 43: 1157-1176.
- ↑ Francis, MP and Ó Maolagáin, C. 2000. Age, growth and maturity of a New Zealand endemic shark (Mustelus lenticulatus) estimated from vertebral bands. Marine and Freshwater Research 51: 35-42.
- ↑ Francis, MP (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003) 2003. Mustelus lenticulatus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on October 22, 2012.
