Scyliorhinus canicula
Commonly known
as Dogfish the Scyliohinus canicula are of the family Scyliohinidea and can be
found from the north Atlantic to the Mediterranean Sea (see map). They can grow
to just over a metre (under 4 foot) and weigh about 2 kg (6.5 lb) they dwell
from shallow waters to somewhere around 400 mts in depth. Near the coast they
can be found on sandy beaches but also over gravely or muddy bottoms.
It is in
fact a small shallow water shark. It has a slender body with rough skin, almost
like sandpaper to the touch. Its’ nostrils are situated on the underside of the
snout of its’ rather blunt head making it look almost like a miniature tiger
shark. The two dorsal fins are located towards the tail of the body and along
with its’ other fins are a sandy, tan colour. The overall colour is a greyish-white
underside and a greyish- brown top with darker spots. They have very small
sharp teeth and the typical five slit gills of their relatives. The male of the
species is a little larger and are equipped with slightly larger teeth and
mouth. An extremely stylish and flexible fish, in my view beautiful.
For the moment their numbers are stable.
No comments:
Post a Comment