Common smooth-hound shark but in males, the pelvic fins are modified to form claspers. Like other smooth hounds, the common smooth hound will aggregate in large numbers, like a pack of dogs. This is why they are called hounds. Common smooth-hound The common smooth-hound ("Mustelus mustelus") is a houndshark of the family Triakidae. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from the British Isles to South Africa, and in the Mediterranean Sea, Madeira, and the Canary Islands at depths ranging from 5 m to 625 m (although they usually stay at depths between 5-50m). While they can grow to 200 cm,
Dusky smooth-hound and "canis" translates to dog. "M. canis" has an allopatric relationship with "M. mustelus" (common smooth-hound) and a sympatric relationship with "M. norrisi" (narrowfin smooth-hound). "M. canis" is found in marine and brackish waters and is demersal (bottom-dwelling) and oceanodromous (migratory in seas). They can be found between 42°N and 44°S and 100 and 46° W. "M. canis" in the North Atlantic migrates in response to changing temperature. In winter, they can be found in the Carolinas to the outlet of the Chesapeake Bay, and in summer from the mid-Atlantic to southern New England. They are most abundant on the