Author: Fourmanoir and Rivaton, 1979
Field Marks:
Two dorsal fins with ungrooved large spines, first dorsal spine origin in front of pectoral rear tips, snout rounded-parabolic and extremely long, preoral snout about twice mouth width, no conspicuous black tips on fins, no white spots on sides, oblique-cusped cutting teeth in both jaws, no subterminal notch on caudal fin, ventral caudal lobe very short, no anal fin, and upper precaudal pit and lateral keels on caudal peduncle.
Diagnostic Features:
Body fairly slender. Snout narrowly parabolic, narrow, and very long, diagonal distance from snout tip to excurrent aperture of nostril greater than that from excurrent aperture to upper labial furrow, preoral snout about 2.0 times mouth width, preorbital snout over twice eye length; eyes much closer to first gill slits than snout tip; nostrils closer to mouth than snout tip; anterior nasal flap with posterior secondary lobe apparently absent. First dorsal spine moderate-sized, less than half of fin base and with tip falling well below apex of fin; second spine long, slightly higher than fin, and about 5% of total lengthfirst dorsal fin anteriorly situated. with fin and spine origins over pectoral inner margins; first dorsal fairly high, height slightly over 3/4 of its length from origin to rear tip; second dorsal markedly smaller than first, and with height more than 5% of total length; pectoral fins probably semifalcate and with narrowly rounded rear tips; pelvic midbases somewhat closer to first dorsal base than second; caudal fin narrow-lobed and long, but with a short ventral lobe and strongly notched postventral margin. Precaudal pits strong. Lateral trunk denticles tricuspidate and with apparently weakly scalloped posterior borders in adults. Colour: no white spots on body, fins not conspicuously black. Size moderate, up to 77 cm.
Geographical Distribution:
Only known from the vicinity of Vate, New Hebrides.
Habitat and Biology:
A little-known but distinctive, longnosed deepwater dogfish of the insular slopes of New Hebrides, at depths of 320 and 400 m. Probably ovoviviparous, number of young 3.
Size:
Maximum total length 77 cm (adult females), females maturing at about 65 cm and reaching at least 77 cm; size at birth near 24 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
None at present.
Remarks:
Inadequately described but undoubtedly distinct from other species of Squalus.
Type material:
Holotype: Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, MNHN 1978-693, 740 mm adult female. Type Locality: Vate, New Hebrides.