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According to the IUCN, almost half of all shark species are threatened with extinction, while others are considered potentially endangered or not endangered!
The most endangered species worldwide is Centrophorus granulosus.
Centrophorus granulosus is a demersal fish and benthopelagic on continental and island platforms and slopes at depths of 50–1,700 meters (possibly up to 2,307 meters), but is most commonly found at depths of 300–1,100 meters.
Males reach sexual maturity at a TL of ~111 cm, females at a TL of ~143 cm (Cotton et al. 2015, Weigmann 2016).
Reproduction is aplacental viviparous with a litter size of 4–11, but usually 4–6 (White et al. 2013, Cotton et al. 2015).
The age of sexual maturity in males is estimated at 10 years (Tanaka 1990).
The maximum age and age of sexual maturity of females are unknown for this species and were derived from a related species, the lesser gulper shark (Centrophorus uyato), whose females in the Mediterranean reach sexual maturity at 16.5 years and a maximum age of 39 years (Guallart 1998).
This results in a generation time of 27.75 years, which should be viewed with caution, however, as the gulper shark is larger than the lesser gulper shark and is usually found at greater depths (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species).
In the 1980s, gulper shark fishing collapsed in the Maldives after populations declined by 97% due to demand for liver oil.
Now, the government is planning to resume gulper shark fishing—a move that threatens not only the sharks, but the entire ecosystem and economy of the Maldives.
These sharks are among the slowest reproducing species in the world, making them virtually unsuitable for commercial fishing.
On December 11, 2025, the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper reported that cosmetics manufacturers are wiping out the shark because its liver contains a substance that gives skin care products special antioxidant and moisturizing properties.
Beauty, wrinkle-free skin, and the pursuit of profit are everything—humans just don't learn!
The most endangered species worldwide is Centrophorus granulosus.
Centrophorus granulosus is a demersal fish and benthopelagic on continental and island platforms and slopes at depths of 50–1,700 meters (possibly up to 2,307 meters), but is most commonly found at depths of 300–1,100 meters.
Males reach sexual maturity at a TL of ~111 cm, females at a TL of ~143 cm (Cotton et al. 2015, Weigmann 2016).
Reproduction is aplacental viviparous with a litter size of 4–11, but usually 4–6 (White et al. 2013, Cotton et al. 2015).
The age of sexual maturity in males is estimated at 10 years (Tanaka 1990).
The maximum age and age of sexual maturity of females are unknown for this species and were derived from a related species, the lesser gulper shark (Centrophorus uyato), whose females in the Mediterranean reach sexual maturity at 16.5 years and a maximum age of 39 years (Guallart 1998).
This results in a generation time of 27.75 years, which should be viewed with caution, however, as the gulper shark is larger than the lesser gulper shark and is usually found at greater depths (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species).
In the 1980s, gulper shark fishing collapsed in the Maldives after populations declined by 97% due to demand for liver oil.
Now, the government is planning to resume gulper shark fishing—a move that threatens not only the sharks, but the entire ecosystem and economy of the Maldives.
These sharks are among the slowest reproducing species in the world, making them virtually unsuitable for commercial fishing.
On December 11, 2025, the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper reported that cosmetics manufacturers are wiping out the shark because its liver contains a substance that gives skin care products special antioxidant and moisturizing properties.
Beauty, wrinkle-free skin, and the pursuit of profit are everything—humans just don't learn!
