Speckled Smoothhound

The speckled smooth-hound is a robust shark with a moderately long, blunt snout, small eyes, short mouth and molar-like teeth without cusps. The trailing edge of the dorsal fins have small, pointed projections. The pectoral fins are large and the pelvic fins moderately large. The caudal peduncle is short and the lower lobe of the tail fin is narrow and slightly curved. The maximum length is about 130 cm (51 in) with maturity being reached by males at about 70 cm (28 in) and females at about 88 cm (35 in). Adults are grey or greyish-brown above and paler below, liberally speckled with white spots. Juveniles have dark bars.

The speckled smooth-hound is found off the Pacific coast of South America, including the Galapagos Islands and the Juan Fernández Islands. Its range extends from the Isla Lobos de Tierra in Peru to the southern tip of Chile. It is a demersal fish and swims close to the seabed on the continental shelf at depths of between 16 and 50 m (52 and 164 ft). Reports of this fish occurring in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Argentina are thought to be erroneous, and are likely to refer to the narrownose smooth-hound (Mustelus schmitti), another shark that is speckled with white spots.