Blacktipe tope

Hypogaleus hyugaensis

Sharks and rays
IUCN: Data deficient

Usual depth118–262 m
Water temperature15–28 °C
Best monthsJanuary, May, and July
How commonRare

About this species

The blacktip tope, also known as pencil shark or blacktip topeshark, is a houndshark of the family Triakidae, and the only member of the genus Hypogaleus. It is found in the deep waters of the continental shelf in the Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa to Japan, at depths between 40 and 230 m. It can grow up to a length of 1.27 m.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Blacktip tope”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 5 records
February: 1 records
March: 4 records
April: 3 records
May: 5 records
June: 2 records
July: 6 records
August: 1 records
September: 1 records
October: 1 records
November: 1 records
December: 5 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 118–262 m · Deepest record: 469 m

30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110–120 m: 2 records
120–130 m: 2 records
130–140 m: 2 records
140+ m: 15 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 15–28 °C

14–16 °C: 1 records
16–18 °C: 1 records
18–20 °C: 1 records
20–22 °C: 10 records
22–24 °C: 10 records
24–26 °C: 3 records
26–28 °C: 9 records

Names and classification

English: Blacktipe tope, blacktipe tope, Blacktip Hound Shark, blacktip tope, Blacktip Topeshark, Pencil Shark, Western School Shark

Names in 3 more languages

German: Schwarzspitzen-Glatthai
Japanese: Tsumaguroeirakubuka, ツマグロエイラクブカ
Simplified Chinese: 下盔鯊, 下盔鯊(黑鰭翅鯊), 翅沙, 黑緣灰鮫

Other scientific names: Eugaleus hyugaensis, Galeorhinus hyugaensis, Galeorhinus zanzibarensis, Hypogaleus zanzibarensis

Similar species

Sweet william
Galeorhinus galeus
Australian Smooth Hound
Mustelus antarcticus
Gummy Shark
Mustelus lenticulatus
Smooth hound
Mustelus mustelus
Sicklefin Hound Shark
Hemitriakis falcata
Japanese topeshark
Hemitriakis japanica

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
47 open-data records from 1971 to 1999.
Species data updated November 3, 2026.

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