Starry Smooth-hound
The starry smooth-hound (gevlekte gladde haai) is the most commonly caught shark in Dutch waters and the centerpiece of a long-running citizen-science tagging program run by Sportvisserij Nederland and Wageningen University.
Numbers off the Zeeland coast have grown dramatically over the past 15 years, and sport fishers now regularly encounter them from charter boats during the summer season.
Scientific Name: Mustelus asterias
Also known as gevlekte gladde haai
- Grey to greyish-brown body scattered with small white spots on the upper surface — the spots are the easiest field mark separating it from the common smooth-hound.
- Long, slender build with a rounded snout; two similarly shaped dorsal fins, the rear one slightly smaller; notched upper caudal lobe.
- Teeth are small and flat — designed for crushing crustaceans, not cutting — so handling tagged fish is considered safe by researchers.
- Typical adults run 100–140 cm; maximum recorded length around 154 cm and up to 4.8 kg.
What to know
Habitat Distribution
- Native to the northeast Atlantic; in the Netherlands it is most consistently found in the southern North Sea, particularly off the Zeeland coast in the southwest.
- A demersal species that hugs sandy and gravel seabeds in coastal waters, generally between 5 and 200 m depth — but Dutch anglers encounter them in relatively shallow inshore zones.
- Seasonal visitor: water temperature drives arrival and departure, with fish present in Dutch waters roughly mid-May through mid-October.
- Mark-recapture research shows the Dutch coast functions as a nursery area, with juveniles and females using inshore grounds during summer.
Key Locations
- Zeeland coast (southwest Netherlands) — the primary area where smooth-hounds have become increasingly abundant over the past 15 years.
- Southern North Sea inshore grounds — the broader zone worked by Dutch charter boats during the annual Shark-a-tag study and general summer sport fishing.
Specific Spots
- Sandy and gravel bottom close inshore — smooth-hounds work these areas systematically, hunting crabs and shrimp along the seabed.
- Tidal current edges and sandbank margins off the Zeeland coast concentrate fish, especially during active tidal flow when prey is dislodged.
- Charter boat drifts over mixed-bottom ground in the southern North Sea produce the most consistent catches during the Shark-a-tag study windows.
Starry Smooth-hound FAQ
Answers from onWater's species guide.
What are the best lures and bait for Starry Smooth-hound?
Peeler or whole crab is the most effective bait, it directly matches the smooth-hound's primary food source and produces consistent results off the Zeeland coast. Ragworm and lugworm on a bottom rig work well as an alternative, particularly when crab is scarce.
When is the best time to fish for Starry Smooth-hound?
Late spring (mid-May onward), fish arrive inshore as sea temperatures climb above 13°C; early-season fish tend to be smaller. Summer (June–August), peak abundance off the Zeeland coast; the annual Shark-a-tag study days fall within this window.
How do you catch Starry Smooth-hound?
Most Dutch anglers target smooth-hounds from charter boats out of Zeeland ports, fishing peeler crab or worm on a bottom rig over sandy or mixed ground. The Shark-a-tag program, running each summer since 2009, has been the main organized framework for this fishery and operates on a strict tag-and-release basis.
What do Starry Smooth-hound eat?
Crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans make up the bulk of the diet, those flat crushing teeth are built for shell, not flesh. Bottom-fished whole crab or peeler crab is the go-to bait in Dutch waters. Adults also take worms and small fish along the seabed.
Where do Starry Smooth-hound live?
Native to the northeast Atlantic; in the Netherlands it is most consistently found in the southern North Sea, particularly off the Zeeland coast in the southwest.
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