Sliteye shark

Source: CSIRO National Fish Collection.

Ever think a shark is giving you ‘the stink eye’? Well, don’t fault the sliteye shark (Loxodon macrorhinus) - they were born that way! 

​A small inshore shark, they mature at about 60 cm long and grow up to 90 cm. They reproduce annually have usually have two pups, which are born at 40 to 45 cm in length. We have no other data on how old they get or at what rate they grow, but like small tropical carcharhinid species, they probably grow fast and mature early.
 
A grey-olive colour on top, this gives ways to a creamy underbelly below. With big eyes, small dorsal fins, and sizeable gill slits, these animals are known to feed on teleost fish, crustaceans and occasionally cephalopods.
 
A common shark throughout their Indo-West Pacific range, they are frequently caught in artisanal, subsistence and commercial fisheries. We have little data on their biology or how their population is doing. But due to being caught intentionally and also as bycatch throughout parts of its range (e.g., South East Asia), their numbers have most likely declined due to fishing. However, scientists believe this to be a fast growing species that can withstand a sustainable amount of fishing pressure and so is listed globally as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THIS ANIMAL?

GLOSSARY

• Artisanal fishery: There is, as yet, no universally-accepted definition; the term is used interchangeably with ‘small scale fishery.’ In general, artisanal fishing will be family-based, employing small or no boats and simple and/or traditional methods.
• Bycatch: The part of a fishery’s catch that is made up of non-target species.  
• Commercial fishery: The activity of catching fish and other seafood for profit.​
• IUCN: International Union for Conservation of Nature.​​

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