(Spiny) Dogfish shark

Squalidae sp.

Where is it found?

Picture
Marine

Diet and foraging method

Scavengers or ambush hunters.

Key adaptations

Members of the dogfish shark family have blade-like teeth on both jaws, which interlock to form a sharp cutting edge for tearing apart prey.

Social organisation and mating system

Several species are social, forming huge nomadic schools undertaking migrations and feeding communally. Other species are solitary or occur in small groups.

Did you know that...?

Dogfish sharks can produce venom from the spines on their dorsal fins, and are one of the only venomous shark families!

Taxonomy

Picture

Picture credits:

"Spiny dogfish hokitika" by Sergi from Spain - Espagne - Spanien - Spagna - %u0418%u0441%u043F%u0430%u043D%u0438%u044F - Espanha - %u30B9%u30DA%u30A4%u30F3 - Spánn - Tây Ban Nha - %u0623%u0633%u0628%u0627%u0646%u064A%u0627 - Uhispania - %u0399%u03C3%u03C0%u03B1%u03BD%u03AF%u03B1 - %u05E1%u05E4%u05E8%u05D3 - %u0938%u094D%u092A%u0947%u0928 - %u897F%u73ED%u7259 - tiburones sharks. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spiny_dogfish_hokitika.jpg#/media/File:Spiny_dogfish_hokitika.jpg
"Dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula ) in Porthgain harbour - geograph.org.uk - 938185" by ceridwen. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dogfish_(Scyliorhinus_canicula_)_in_Porthgain_harbour_-_geograph.org.uk_-_938185.jpg#/media/File:Dogfish_(Scyliorhinus_canicula_)_in_Porthgain_harbour_-_geograph.org.uk_-_938185.jpg