Whiskery shark (Furgaleus macki)

Scientific name: Furgaleus macki Whitley, 1943

The Whiskery shark (Furgaleus macki) is a marine fish of the family Triakidae. Native range: Eastern Indian Ocean, southern Australia.

Biology

Found on the continental shelf, commonly on rock bottom, seaweed and kelp beds. Feeds on octopi, squid, bony fishes and lobsters. Peanut worms and seagrass are also included in their diet. Ovoviviparous, with 5-24 in a litter. Young are 20-25 cm long at birth. Marketed fresh for human consumption.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Furgaleus macki
Family: Triakidae (Houndsharks)
Order: Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)
Class: Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length: 160
Depth range: 220 m (722 ft)
Environment: Marine; demersal; depth range ? - 220 m
Climate: Temperate
Distribution: Eastern Indian Ocean: southern Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=.29-0.42; tmax=11.5; Fec=5)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026