Home · Triakidae · Florida smooth-hound
Florida smooth-hound (Mustelus norrisi) — Triakidae

Florida smooth-hound

Mustelus norrisi
Family: Triakidae
NT · Near Threatened

The Florida smooth-hound (Mustelus norrisi) is a saltwater fish of the family Triakidae that grows up to 110 cm.

Length
110 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–100.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Solitary
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The narrowfin smooth-hound is a houndshark from the western Atlantic, ranging from Florida and the northern Gulf of Mexico to Venezuela and southern Brazil. The species grows to about 110 cm and has a slender, grey body. As a bottom-dweller the fish lives on mud and sand bottoms of the continental shelf, usually between 3 and 40 metres depth, and feeds on crustaceans and small fish. The species is viviparous with a yolk-sac placenta and bears 7 to 14 young. Because of fishing pressure it is listed as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Florida smooth-hound?

The Florida smooth-hound has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Florida smooth-hound live?

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

How big does the Florida smooth-hound get?

The Florida smooth-hound grows to a maximum of about 110 cm. On average the species is around 80 cm.

Is the Florida smooth-hound dangerous to humans?

No, the Florida smooth-hound is harmless to humans.

Is the Florida smooth-hound edible?

Yes, the Florida smooth-hound is commonly eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Floridatoonhaai sourced
English name
Florida smooth-hound verified
Scientific name
Mustelus norrisi
Family
Triakidae
Other names
Florida smooth hound; Florida smoothhound; Florida Smooth-hound; Narrowfin smooth hound verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
110.0 verified
Average length (cm)
80.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Straight inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Solitary inferred
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuuraas op zand- en modderbodems. sourced
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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