Biodiversity & Conservation

Tope shark - Galeorhinus galeus - General information

Galeorhinus galeus

Image Davy Holt - An adult tope shark. Image width ca 150 cm.
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Distribution map

Galeorhinus galeus recorded (dark blue bullet) and expected (light blue bullet) distribution in Britain and Ireland (see below)

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  • UK_BAP

General information

Key Icon Researched by: Morvan Barnes Text page icon Refereed by:

Taxonomy icon Taxonomy

Phylum Chordata Sea squirts, fish, reptiles, birds and mammals
Class Elasmobranchii Sharks, rays and skates
Map icon Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland Widely distributed off the coasts of Britain and Ireland.
Habitat information icon Habitat information The tope shark is a benthopelagic and demersal species inhabiting the upper continental shelf down to a depth of 550 m.
Text page icon Description The tope shark Galeorhinus galeus is a slender streamlined hound shark. It can grow up to over 190 cm in length. It has a grey-brown dorsal colouring and a much paler ventral surface. The tope shark has a long and pointed snout and large oval shaped eyes. The second of the two dorsal fins is similar in size to the anal fin. Juveniles may have black markings on their fins.

This review can be cited as follows:

Morvan Barnes 2008. Galeorhinus galeus. Tope shark. Marine Life Information Network: Biology and Sensitivity Key Information Sub-programme [on-line]. Plymouth: Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. [cited 31/07/2010]. Available from: <http://www.marlin.ac.uk/speciesfullreview.php?speciesID=3368>