Gummy Shark Jaw with Data ex Dr.Gordon Hubbell

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Gummy Shark Jaw with Data (Mustelus antarcticus)

The Gummy Shark is Australia's most commercially significant shark — the species behind most of the "flake" sold in fish and chip shops across the country for generations. But there's a collector's angle here that goes well beyond the dinner table. Mustelus antarcticus is one of the most thoroughly studied sharks on earth, its southern stock assessed annually for decades and considered a global model for sustainable shark fisheries management. A jaw with collection data from Dr. Gordon Hubbell's archive brings scientific grounding and provenance to a species that, for all its familiarity, is rarely encountered as a prepared specimen in private collections.

Species & Classification

• Scientific Name: Mustelus antarcticus (Günther, 1870)
• Common Names: Gummy Shark, Flake, Sweet William, Australian Smooth Hound, Smooth 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; antarcticus is Latin for "southern," referring to its distribution in the southern Pacific around Australia FishBase

Biology & Physical Characteristics

• Slender shark with a darker grey top with white spots and a silvery-white underbelly Wikipedia
• Gets its name from its flat, plate-like teeth used to crush shelled and non-shelled prey — giving the jaws the superficial appearance of toothlessness Wikipedia; these distinctive crushing teeth are immediately recognizable in jaw specimens
• Males reach a maximum length of 157 cm; females up to 175 cm; sharks measure 30–35 cm at birth Wikipedia
• Depth range 0–403 m, usually shallower than 80 m; demersal and oceanodromous FishBase
• Average life expectancy 16 years; typical generation length 10 years Wikipedia

Habitat & Distribution

• Bottom-dwelling, found in waters around southern Australia from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Port Stephens in New South Wales, from the surface down to 350 m Wikipedia
• Two stocks in Australian waters: a southern stock including Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and Tasmania; and an eastern stock including NSW and possibly Queensland Pipi
• Tagging and telemetry research shows the majority of individuals move less than 150 km, though some can travel more than 2,000 km Pipi
• Exhibits strong sexual segregation on a large scale — females predominantly in the west and southwest of Western Australia, males tending to stay in southeastern territories Wikipedia

Diet & Behavior

• Feeds on crustaceans, molluscs, and other bottom-dwelling invertebrates, using its flat crushing teeth to process hard-shelled prey
• Bottom-dwellers with minimal contact with humans; tend to flee when spotted, making observational studies difficult Wikipedia
• Only two known predators: humans, and the broadnose sevengill shark which preys on juveniles Wikipedia

Reproduction

• Ovoviviparous but aplacental, with 1–38 pups per litter; embryos feed solely on yolk; gestation period 11–12 months; pups born at 30–35 cm Shark-References
• Females can store sperm for up to one year prior to first ovulation; polyandry allows females to mate with multiple males, increasing genetic diversity Wikipedia
• Males ready to reproduce by age four; all parental care is provided by the mother Wikipedia

Conservation Status

• Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN; southern stock assessed as Sustainable — one of the most well-studied and carefully managed shark species globally Pipi
• Current national catches approximately 2,000 tonnes annually, managed by catch and effort quotas under the Commonwealth Southern and Eastern Scalefish and Shark Fishery Pipi
• The southern stock is considered a global model for shark fisheries management, maintained at or above its target reference point for several decades Pipi

Misc. & Collector Facts

• The Gummy Shark is sold commercially as "flake" — the most widely consumed shark product in Australia — making it one of the most economically important sharks in the Southern Hemisphere and culturally iconic to generations of Australians
• The flat, pavement-like crushing dentition is one of the most immediately distinctive jaw morphologies in the Triakidae family — a visual counterpart to the similar crushing teeth of Mustelus canis (Dusky Smoothhound) from the Atlantic, making the two an outstanding comparative display
• Confused with another undescribed species whose southern distribution extends into Western Australia Shark-References — locality data is therefore scientifically useful for clarifying specimen identity
• "With data" includes collection locality and specimen documentation — valuable for a species with two genetically distinct stocks across its Australian range
• Dr. Gordon Hubbell provenance adds significant authentication and collectibility value
• Ideal for: Australian shark collectors, Triakidae and houndshark specialists, comparative Mustelus genus displays, natural history and museum-quality specimens