Gray Smooth-hound
Mustelus californicus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassElasmobranchii
- OrderCarcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
- FamilyTriakidae (Houndsharks)
- GenusMustelus (Smooth-Hounds)
- SpeciesMustelus californicus (Gray Smooth-hound)
The gray smooth-hound (also spelled as smoothhound) (Mustelus californicus) is a houndshark of the family Triakidae. It is spotless and smooth with a narrow head and long blunted snout. This shark is found on continental shelves of the subtropical eastern Pacific. Its range extends from northern California to the Gulf of California (between latitudes 40° N and 23° N), usually residing in waters less than 80 meters (262 ft 6 in) deep. Adults are between 0.5 and 1.6 meters (1 ft 8 in to 5 ft 3 in) long. Furthermore, this shark is viviparous with an egg yolk placenta. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Smooth-hound sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Channel Islands National Park
📅 Monthly Probability
🌙 When They're Spotted
Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Channel Islands National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Gray Smooth-hound in Channel Islands National Park?
About 15% of wildlife watchers report a Gray Smooth-hound sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Gray Smooth-hound in Channel Islands National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Gray Smooth-hound in Channel Islands National Park in our monthly data.