A Review of the Smooth-Hound Sharks (Genus Mustelus, Family Triakidae) of the Western Atlantic Ocean, with Descriptions of Two New Species and a New Subspecies

The taxonomy and distribution of sharks of the genus Mustelus in the western Atlantic Ocean are treated. Seven species are recognized, and all are endemic to the western Atlantic. A new species from the Gulf of Mexico and another new species from the Southern Caribbean are described. Mustelus canis is divided into two subspecies: a continental form and an insular form restricted to the Caribbean islands, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Morphometric features, denticle and tooth configurations, buccopharyngeal denticle patterns, and vertebral numbers are shown to be useful taxonomic characters within the genus.