Western Gulper Shark

This moderate-sized species has the following set of adult characters: length of pre-second dorsal 63.8-64.9% TL, 8.8-9.7 times dorsal-caudal space; length of pre-first dorsal 31.3-32.7% TL; interdorsal space 20.3-21.5% TL, 2.8-3.1 times dorsal-caudal space; dorsal-caudal space 6.7-7.3% TL, 4.4-4.9 in pectoral-pelvic space; long and moderately robust head, its length 23.2-24.7% TL, 3.1- 3.2 times mouth width, its width 11.7–12.8% TL, 5.1-5.5 in pre-second dorsal length; width at anterior of nostrils 7.1-7.6% TL; long snout, its preoral length 10.9-12.4% TL, 2.0-2.2 times head height at anterior of mouth, 1.4-1.6 times mouth width; horizontal preorbital length 7.0-7.8% TL; horizontal prenarial length 4.5-4.9% TL; moderately large mouth, its width 7.6–7.8% TL; large pectoral fin, its anterior margin 12.9-14.2% TL, 2.6-2.8 times base length; large caudal fin, its dorsal caudal margin 17.4-20.2% TL; 2.6-2.9 times dorsal-caudal space; moderately-sized first dorsal fin, its height 5.5-6.4% TL, with relatively robust spine, its base width 1.1-1.2% TL; dorsal fins of juveniles have a distinct blackish oblique blotch anteriorly and a white blotch on the upper posterior margin; in adults a less distinct dark blotch which is usually still apparent in fresh specimens and with white blotch restricted to a narrow white posterior margin which can be indistinct in larger preserved specimens; females and an immature male with upper teeth strongly oblique, similar in shape, but much smaller than lower teeth; 38/29.teeth count in holotype; adults with flank denticles flat, not overlapping, with scalloped edges; 112-117 (mean 115.3) total vertebral centra; 55-57 (55.8) monospondylous precaudal centra; 29-33 (31) diplospondylous precaudal centra; 85-88 (86.8) precaudal centra; 27-30 (28.5) diplospondylous caudal centra (Ref. 76933).

The western gulper shark (Centrophorus westraliensis) is a species of squaliform shark discovered in 2008. The species had previously been identified as a variant of the dumb gulper shark, however was differentiated based on morphology. The western gulper is known from the waters of Western Australia, as well as Indonesia, East Timor, and islands in the Southern Indian Ocean. This shark is classified as "least concern" by the IUCN.