Depth
Centrophorus · Sharks & Rays

Little Gulper Shark

Centrophorus uyato

50-1400m
Depth Range
110cm
Max Size
Mediterranean
Distribution
50-1400m
Depth Range
110cm
Max Size
Deep water
Habitat
Carnivore
Diet
Solitary
Social
EN
IUCN Status
Rare
Sighting Likelihood
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassElasmobranchii
GenusCentrophorus
Speciesuyato

Elasmobranch

Identification & Biology

  • IdentificationA small, grey-brown deep-water shark with large green eyes adapted to low-light conditions. Two dorsal fins, each bearing a sharp spine. The skin is covered in rough, overlapping dermal denticles. The snout is moderately long and pointed.
  • SizeUp to 110 cm total length. Most adults are between 60 and 90 cm.
  • Social HabitFound in small groups, sometimes segregated by sex. Makes daily vertical migrations, rising from deeper water at night to feed.
  • HabitatDeep continental and insular slopes. Found on or near the bottom over mud and rocky substrates.
  • Depth230 to 1490 m. Most common between 300 and 600 m.
  • Feeds OnDeep-water bony fish, squid, octopus, shrimp, and other crustaceans.
  • DistributionEastern Atlantic from Portugal to South Africa, and throughout the Mediterranean Sea. Present in deep waters around Malta.
  • DescriptionCentrophorus uyato is a small deep-water shark that lives well beyond the reach of divers. Like many deep-water sharks, it is extremely slow to reproduce, with long gestation periods and very few young per litter. This makes it highly vulnerable to fishing pressure, particularly from bottom trawling. Listed as Endangered in the Mediterranean by the IUCN.

Range

Habitat & Distribution

A deep-water species found from 50 to 1400 m, most common between 200 and 800 m on the upper to mid continental slope. Inhabits muddy and rocky deep-sea substrates.

Where Malta divers have spotted this species

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Sightings are logged by divers using our What Did You See? dive-log tool. View the full live sightings map.

Detail

Preferred Environment

Lives on or near the seabed of the continental and insular slopes. Favours deep canyons and steep slope habitats in the Mediterranean.

Encounter Tips

Best approached slowly and calmly. Avoid casting shadows directly over the animal. Neutral buoyancy and patience increase encounter success significantly.

Little Gulper Shark species card

Biology

Behaviour & Diet

Feeding Strategy

Feeds on deep-water bony fish, squid, and crustaceans near the seabed. Uses its large eyes and electroreceptors to locate prey in the dark deep-water environment.

Deep-sea predator

Reproduction

Ovoviviparous, producing small litters of 1-2 pups after a long gestation. Extremely slow reproductive rate makes this species highly sensitive to any fishing pressure.

Very low fecundity

Behaviour & Defence

The sharp dorsal spines deter predators attempting to swallow the shark. Its deep habitat provides natural refuge from many surface-oriented threats.

Dorsal spines

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Where to Encounter in Malta

Dive sites where Centrophorus uyato may be encountered will be added as sighting data is collected.

IUCN Red ListEndangered

Conservation Status

This species is assessed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Mediterranean populations face ongoing pressure from fishing activity, habitat degradation, and climate-driven changes.

Source: IUCN Red List
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