Animal Species:Portuguese Dogfish, Centroscymnus coelolepis Bocage & Capello, 1864

The Portuguese Dogfish is a uniform golden to black colour. The species occurs in the eastern and north-western Atlantic, and Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

Portuguese Dogfish, Centroscymnus coelolepis

Portuguese Dogfish, Centroscymnus coelolepis
Robin McPhee © NORFANZ Founding Parties

Identification

The Portuguese Dogfish is a uniform golden to black colour. It has a stout body with large, smooth denticles. There are two small, equal-sized dorsal fins that are each preceded by a small spine. The upper jaw teeth are dagger-like, but those in the lower jaw are slanted and blade-like.

Size range

Young are born at 30 cm in length and grow to 1.2 m.

Distribution

The species occurs in the eastern and north-western Atlantic, and Japan, Australia and New Zealand. In Australia it has been trawled from off New South Wales and Tasmania.

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Portuguese Dogfish specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Habitat

The species is found in continental slope and abyssal plain waters in depths from 270 m to 3700 m. In Australia individuals have been caught in depths from 770 m to 1400 m.

Classification

Species:
coelolepis
Genus:
Centroscymnus
Family:
Squalidae
Order:
Squaliformes
Class:
Chondrichthyes
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4, Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes: viii, 1-250.
  2. Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.

 


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags Fishes, Ichthyology, Portuguese Dogfish, Centroscymnus coelolepis, Somniosidae, NORFANZ, shark, golden, black, stout body, odd-shaped, smooth denticles, two dorsal fins, small spine, dagger-like teeth, > 1m, marine, adult,