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catalog Centrophoridae · predator

little gulper shark

Centrophorus uyato

SeaIUCN global: EN · endangeredessential profile

Deep-water shark of the western Atlantic and the Caribbean, endangered. It turns up in commercial fishing and is of interest to recreational fishing.

Also called: tubarão-engolidor-pequeno, galludito, quelva, little gulper shark

Scientific illustration of Little gulper shark
maximum
110 cm
record/max.
7.3 kg
depth
50–1,400 m
overview

who is the little gulper shark

The little gulper shark is a deep-water shark of the family Centrophoridae, small and slender, with a long, narrow snout. It reaches 110 cm and weighs up to 7.3 kg. It lives near the bottom of the outer shelf and upper slope, usually below 200 m, and goes down to 1,400 m. It feeds on bony fish and squid. It is ovoviviparous, usually with one pup per litter, born at 40 to 50 cm. It turns up in commercial fishing, in a minor way, and is also of interest to recreational fishing. There are no records in Brazil.

Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the little gulper shark.

fun facts

  • Males mature at around 80 cm.
how to recognize it

identification

Small slender shark with a long, narrow snout. The first dorsal fin is short and the second is tall, and the tips of the pectoral fins are quite long. The back is brownish grey and the belly is light grey. It lives at depths greater than 200 m, on the outer shelf and slope.

how little gulper shark fishing looks

Loading the next 7 days…

Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.

Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

Western Atlantic, with records in Cuba, Mexico, Colombia and the Guianas. No records in Brazil.

Habitat: Bottom of the outer shelf and upper slope, usually below 200 meters deep.

what the law says

rules for the little gulper shark

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.

We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

Deep-bottom shark: release it with minimal handling and without keeping it out of water for long. The dorsal fins have spines, so hold it with care.

in the kitchen

Its flesh is sold dried and salted for human food.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00245, b = 3.18; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.

  1. scientific FishBase: Centrophorus uyato (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Centrophorus uyatoNames by country and language.