Dusky Smoothhound Jaw w/Data ex Dr.Gordon Hubbell

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Dusky Smoothhound Jaw with Data (Mustelus canis)

The Dusky Smoothhound is one of those sharks that serious collectors sometimes overlook — and that's exactly what makes a well-documented jaw from Dr. Gordon Hubbell's collection worth owning. Known up and down the Atlantic coast of North America, Mustelus canis is far better studied than most sharks in the trade, and a jaw with accompanying data grounds it in a specific time and place that the species' well-documented biology only enriches.

Species & Classification

• Scientific Name: Mustelus canis (Mitchill, 1815)
• Common Names: Dusky Smoothhound, Smooth Dogfish, Atlantic Smooth Dogfish, Dog Shark
• Family: Triakidae (Houndsharks)
• Order: Carcharhiniformes
• Etymology: Mustelus is Latin for "weasel," an ancient name for sharks possibly referring to the pointed snouts, swift movements, and rapacious feeding behavior of smaller predatory sharks; canis is Latin for "dog" — sharks were known as "sea dogs" among mariners until the late 16th century because of their ferocious, pack-like feeding behavior FishBase

Biology & Physical Characteristics

• Slender body with a fairly long, pointed snout; upper labial furrows noticeably longer than lower; small visible spiracle behind the eye Sharks and Rays
• Dorsal coloration olive-grey or grey-brown; fins dusky with white tips and posterior margins Sharks and Rays
• Maximum length 150 cm; common length around 100 cm; maximum published weight 12.2 kg FishBase
• Possesses low, flattened teeth specialized for crushing crustacean prey Sharkwater — highly distinctive in jaw specimens
• Large, oval-shaped eyes with a spiracle located directly behind on each side; first and second dorsal fins well-serrated and nearly equal in size Animalia
• Females live to 16 years; males to approximately 10 years Animalia
• Mustelus canis was the first shark recognized to have viral infections Animalia

Habitat & Distribution

• Western Atlantic: Massachusetts to Florida, northern and western Gulf of Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, Jamaica, Barbados, Bermuda, Bahamas, and southern Brazil to northern Argentina Shark-References
• Found on continental and insular shelves and upper slopes, from shallow inshore waters and the intertidal zone to 200 m depth; occasionally down to 579 m FishBase
• Occasionally found in freshwater FishBase
• Mid-Atlantic Bight estuaries serve as critical nursery grounds Sharkwater
• Undergoes seasonal migration — summers in the north from Chesapeake to New England; winters off South Carolina, returning in mid-May to summer hunting and breeding grounds Sharks and Rays

Diet & Behavior

• Feeds mostly on crustaceans, polychaetes, and mollusks; also eats squid, worms, small fish, and razor clams; nocturnal scavengers and opportunistic predators Wikipedia
• Diet also includes gastropods, marine annelid worms, and occasionally garbage Sharkwater
• Tonic immobility has been documented in this species — induced by inverting the shark, with a mean induction time of 32.5 seconds and mean duration of 61.9 seconds Wikipedia

Reproduction

• Viviparous with yolk-sac placenta; litters of 10–20 pups; gestation approximately 10 months; reproductive cycle is annual Sharks and Rays
• Pups measure 28–39 cm at birth Sharks and Rays
• Females can store sperm for up to a year; mating season runs from May to June Wikipedia
• Females reach maturity at approximately 102 cm; males at about 84 cm Sharkwater

Conservation Status

• Stock assessments in the northwest Atlantic indicate a stable or increasing population, though poorly managed fisheries further south remain a concern Sharks and Rays
• Taken in commercial trawl, gillnet, and longline fisheries and by recreational anglers in considerable numbers Sharks and Rays
• Rapid increase in directed gillnet fishing has resulted in population declines; no defined protection currently in place for this species Sharkwater

Misc. & Collector Facts

• The flattened, pavement-like crushing teeth are among the most visually distinctive dentition in any shark jaw — immediately recognizable as a durophage (hard-prey crusher) and a conversation starter in any collection
• The subspecies Mustelus canis insularis occurs at several Caribbean islands Shark-References — locality data is key to determining population and potential subspecific identity
• "With data" means collection locality and specimen documentation is included, valuable for a species with distinct, geographically separate populations
• Dr. Gordon Hubbell provenance adds significant authentication and collectibility value
• Ideal for: Atlantic shark collectors, Triakidae specialists, educational displays, natural history and museum-quality specimens