Home · Triakidae · Brown smooth hound
Brown smooth hound (Mustelus henlei) — Triakidae

Brown smooth hound

Mustelus henlei
Family: Triakidae
LC · Least Concern

The Brown smooth hound (Mustelus henlei) is a saltwater fish of the family Triakidae that grows up to 100 cm.

Length
100 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–281.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The brown smooth-hound is a houndshark (Triakidae) from the eastern Pacific. The species grows to about 1 m and has a slender, bronze-brown body with large eyes and the blunt, pavement-like teeth characteristic of smooth-hounds, with which it crushes shellfish. Adults live on the continental shelf, from the intertidal zone to at least 200 m deep. It feeds on crabs, ghost shrimps, mantis shrimps, isopods, squids and polychaetes. The species is viviparous and is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Brown smooth hound?

The Brown smooth hound has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly brown and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Brown smooth hound live?

The Brown smooth hound lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Brown smooth hound get?

The Brown smooth hound grows to a maximum of about 100 cm.

Is the Brown smooth hound dangerous to humans?

No, the Brown smooth hound is harmless to humans.

Is the Brown smooth hound edible?

Yes, the Brown smooth hound is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Bruine toonhaai sourced
English name
Brown smooth hound verified
Scientific name
Mustelus henlei
Family
Triakidae
Other names
Brown smoothhound; Brown smooth-hound verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
100.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Brown inferred
Pattern
Plain inferred
Tail shape
Crescent (lunate) inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate inferred
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
281.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred
levensduur_max_jaar
13.0 verified

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Mustelus

More from the family Triakidae

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