Grey above, pale below, with creamy-white fin edges and tips; large eyes, broad interorbital region and upper lip folds much longer than lower. Marine demersal shelf habitats, approximately 30–281 m, including soft bottoms.
Wildlife education
This record supports wildlife education. Aquarium-care questions are not assigned to this profile.
Wildlife education profile; reviewed natural-history sources do not establish a captive operating protocol.
Wildlife reference; no home-aquarium stocking recommendation or validated captive operating protocol is supplied. Public-aquarium photographs document living animals, not suitability for private keeping.
Outstanding care evidence
- Institutional lifetime husbandry and veterinary protocol
Identification
Grey above, pale below, with creamy-white fin edges and tips; large eyes, broad interorbital region and upper lip folds much longer than lower.
Names and Classification
Mustelus hacat is treated as a junior synonym of M.albipinnis; familyTriakidae. Also published under Mustelus hacat.
Adult Size
Documented to 118 cm TL; both sexes mature around 90–100 cm.
Distribution and Habitat
Eastern Pacific, Baja California and Gulf of California south to Ecuador, including confirmed Galápagos records. Marine demersal shelf habitats, approximately 30–281 m, including soft bottoms.
Feeding and Ecological Role
Benthic crustaceans, worms and fishes are reported prey categories; quantitative diet data limited. A small shelf predator caught in regional fisheries; Galápagos occurrence is supported by institutional collections.
Reproduction and Life History
Livebearing; precise litter statistics should be tied to their original population study and synonym identification.
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN global; Assessed 6 February 2019; published 2020). Global category; national protection and regional risk are separate. Older broad taxonomic concepts can make historical accounts misleading.
Responsible Observation
Observe without chasing, feeding, touching or obstructing the animal. Keep fins and equipment off resting rays and sharks; give sawfishes and wedgefishes room to move. Follow the site’s local wildlife rules and use responsible dive operators.
About the Photographs
No freely reusable photograph of a verified living specimen was found in this search. The target of at least three photographs remains unmet. Dead or preserved specimens, drawings and uncertain identifications were excluded.
Aquarium Suitability
Wildlife education only. This marine elasmobranch is outside home-aquarium stocking and care guidance. Wild range and diet are not a captive operating protocol; this profile does not infer tank dimensions, water settings, acquisition advice or an institutional welfare plan.
Evidence Gaps
Evidence gaps include: Longevity, detailed diet and demographic rates remain incompletely known.
A living record
Natural history, taxonomy and global conservation categories checked against the linked sources. Habitat measurements are not captive care settings. Each photograph has separate identity, living-status and rights evidence. Public content last reviewed October 17, 2026.
- Smithsonian eastern Pacific species account ↗Reference source
- Charles Darwin Foundation collections-based account ↗Reference source
- Original 2005 description ↗Reference source
- Shark-References — species and taxonomic synonyms ↗Reference source