Mustelus asterias - Starry Smothhound
The starry smoothhound, a member of the shark family, is
brown with numerous pale spots along its flanks just above the lateral
line. This distinguishes it from the common (but less frequently
encountered!) smoothhound, which does not have the star-like spots.
These strong fighters can be caught from the shore or from
boats fishing inshore; they are not usually found in very deep water (over
100 metres). Their main food source is crustaceans, but fish strips or
squid are also effective baits.
The Welsh rod-caught record came from just off Nash sands
in 1996 and weighed 26 lb (nearly 12 kg).
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