| Family: |
Oxynotidae (Rough sharks) |
| Max. size: |
150 cm TL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
bathydemersal; marine; depth range 60 - 1309 m |
| Distribution: |
Eastern Atlantic: Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean Sea to Senegal, north to Cornwall, England (apparently as a stray). Compagno et al. (Ref. 5578) reports this species as ranging south to Cape Point, South Africa but Springer 1990 (Ref. 10718) notes Bass et al. 1976 as considering specimens from Walvis Bay distinct from Oxynotus centrina calling attention to the considerably greater distance between dorsal fins in Mediterranean specimens than in specimens taken south of the equator. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 2-2; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. A small bizarre-looking shark with an unmistakable high body and bristly textured skin (Ref. 5578). Uniformly grey to grey-brown (Ref. 5578). |
| Biology: |
Found on the outer continental shelf and upper slope (Ref. 5578). Depth range from 60-660 m (Ref. 247) and from 549-777 m in the eastern Ionian Sea (Ref. 56504), and 818-1309 m NW Africa (Ref. 128029). Feeds on polychaetes (Ref. 247) and sipunculids (apparenly a suction feeder which mainly feeds on worm-like prey), which are rapidly digested, and the rapid gastric evacuation could partially explain the vacuity of several guts; teleosts, crustaceans and echinoderms are considered as accessory prey items, thus recorded predation on egg cases of the smallspotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula remains an occasional phenomenon (Ref. 81816). Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). Utilized for fishmeal, oil, and smoked and dried salted for human consumption (Ref. 247). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Endangered (EN); Date assessed: 31 August 2020 (A2d) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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