Tope are widespread throughout the world, living in temperate and subtropical seas between 68°N - 55°S latitude. It is assumed that Tope found in Canada are part of a larger, highly migratory population, which is known to move north during the summer, and south into deeper waters during the winter. Tope are found in the eastern Pacific from northern British Columbia (no records from Alaska) to the Gulf of California as well as waters off Peru and Chile.

Although Tope are rarely seen today in Canadian waters, Tope are known to occur in Canada's Pacific continental shelf waters along Vancouver Island, Queen Charlotte Sound, and into Hecate Strait.

Tope are also found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean off Australia and New Zealand; in the western Atlantic Oceans from southern Brazil to Argentina; in the eastern Atlantic from Iceland to South Africa, including the Mediterranean Sea; and the in western Indian Ocean, in waters off South Africa.

Tope is a Pacific coast shark, commonly referred to as soupfin shark, and is one of 39 species belonging to the family Triakidae or houndsharks. Tope is the only representative from the family Triakidae on Canada's Pacific coast. It is a dark bluish grey in colour on its dorsal side (back side) which shades to white on the underside. Based on studies in Australia and New Zealand, tope are slow growing, reach a maximum age of about 45 years and mature at ages of 13-15 years and 12-17 years for females and males respectively. In eastern Pacific waters, females are mature at 150 cm total length and males are mature at 135 cm. In the northeast Pacific, maximum length of females is 195 cm and 175 cm for males.