Flake is a term used in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

to indicate the flesh of any of several

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

of baby

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...

, particularly the

gummy shark The gummy shark (''Mustelus antarcticus''), also known as the Australian smooth hound, flake, sweet william or smooth dog-shark, is a shark in the family Triakidae. These small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling sharks are found mostly in, but are ...

. The term probably arose in the late 1920s when the large-scale commercial shark fishery off the coast of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

was established. Until that time, shark was generally an incidental catch rather than a targeted species. Flake rapidly became popular. It has a mild flavour, a soft texture that nevertheless remains well-defined after cooking, and a clean white appearance. A special advantage is that flake has no bones, because sharks are cartilaginous. These qualities, combined with the ready supply and a low price, saw flake become by far the most common type of fish to be served in Australian

fish and chip Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of liv ...

shops. Flake remains popular, but it is no longer especially cheap. Although the primary shark species sold as flake is the gummy shark, several others are listed below. *

Gummy shark The gummy shark (''Mustelus antarcticus''), also known as the Australian smooth hound, flake, sweet william or smooth dog-shark, is a shark in the family Triakidae. These small to medium-sized bottom-dwelling sharks are found mostly in, but are ...

, ''Mustelus antarcticus'' * School shark, ''Galeorhinus galeus'' * Elephant fish, ''Callorhinchus milii'' *

Whiskery shark The whiskery shark (''Furgaleus macki'') is a species of houndshark in the family Triakidae, and the only member of its genus. This common shark inhabits the Australian continental shelf from Western Australia to the Bass Strait, to a depth of ...

, ''Furgaleus macki'' *

Australian blacktip shark The Australian blacktip shark (''Carcharhinus tilstoni'') is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, endemic to northern and eastern Australia. Favoring the upper and middle parts of the water column, it can be found from the ...

, ''Carcharhinus tilstoni'' *

Sawshark A sawshark or saw shark is a member of a shark order (Pristiophoriformes ) bearing a unique long, saw-like rostrum (snout or bill) edged with sharp teeth, which they use to slash and disable their prey. There are eight species within the Pristi ...

(any of several ''Pristiophorus'' species) * Various dog sharks (family Squalidae) *

Wobbegong The wobbegong is the common name given to the 12 species of carpet sharks in the family Orectolobidae. They are found in shallow temperate and tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean and eastern Indian Ocean, chiefly around Australia and I ...

(family Orectolobidae) During the late 1960s it became apparent that larger individuals of several shark species were contaminated with high levels of

heavy metals upright=1.2, Crystals of osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">lead.html" ;"title="osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead">osmium, a heavy metal nearly twice as dense as lead Heavy metals are generally defined as ...

, particularly mercury, and a public outcry eventually led to a ban on the sale of large school sharks in 1972, which remained in effect until 1985. In

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, nursehound is often sold as flake.

References

{{reflist Fish of Australia Australian cuisine