Slender smooth-hound journal "Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand". Garrick named the species "Triakis attenuata", in reference to its extremely slender ("attenuate") body. In 1973, Leonard Compagno proposed a separate genus for the slender smooth-hound: "Gollum", after the character in J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", "to whom this shark bears some resemblance in form and habits." He placed "Gollum" with the finback catsharks (Proscylliidae), but also noted its many anatomical similarities to the false catshark ("Pseudotriakis microdon"). At the time, Compagno chose to maintain "Pseudotriakis" as the sole member of the family Pseudotriakidae because of its
Slender smooth-hound may also receive secondary nutrition in the form of histotroph ("uterine milk") produced by the mother. When the embryo is long, it emerges from the capsule, which by that time has become translucent and gelatinous. Embryos long have well-developed external gill filaments. The external yolk sac is entirely absorbed when the embryo is long and close to being born. Males and females reach sexual maturity at approximately long. Harmless to humans and of no economic value, the slender smooth-hound is occasionally caught incidentally in bottom trawls and on bottom longlines. Much of its northern range lies in little-fished waters, and