Longsnout Dogfish

The Longsnout dogfish is a lesser-studied dogfish characterized by its extremely long snout. It is native to the oceans of the Southern hemisphere.

Longsnout Dogfish Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Chondrichthyes
Order Squaliformes
Family Centrophoridae
Genus Deania
Scientific name D. quadrispinosa

Description

These sharks average a length of 110-114 cm (3.6-3.7 ft), with the largest on record measuring 115 cm (3.75 ft). The females are generally longer than the males.

They have a dark brown, greyish-brown, or blackish body, with a dark spot near the dorsal fins in juveniles. They have large eyes and a long, flat snout making up over half the length of the head. Both jaws have compressed cutting teeth. However, the upper teeth are small, pointy, and hooked, while the lower teeth are more prominent, broader, and less curved. They have the typical dermal denticles of this genus with four spines, giving them a pitchfork-like shape. These denticles are moderately large, with the crowns measuring nearly 75 mm (0.3 in) across.

The first dorsal fin is relatively high, short, and angular, and the second dorsal is taller. Both the dorsal fins have grooved spines. They lack a subcaudal keel as well as an anal fin.

Where do they live

Map Of The Longsnout Dogfish Shark’s Habitat

Longsnout Dogfish Habitat Map

This species commonly occurs in the Southwestern Pacific, around Australia, New Zealand, and the islands of Oceania. In the Eastern Atlantic and West Indian Oceans, it is found near Mozambique, South Africa, and Namibia.

It is a bottom-dwelling fish inhabiting the outer continental slope at depths of 1500-1,360 m (492-4,462 ft). It is most common between 400-820 m (1,312-2,690 ft).

Behavior

Dietary

Its diet mainly consists of bony fish.

Reproductive

This species follows an ovoviviparous mode of reproduction. It is assumed that there are 5-17 pups per litter, but this is unproven.  

Adaptations

Like most sharks, they have a sharp sense of smell and vision, pointed teeth, and smooth, streamlined bodies.

Human interactions

They have no commercial interest in fisheries and are only caught as bycatch. Still, their population has decreased drastically by over 80% around Australia and nearly 30% globally.

The IUCN has thus listed this species as “Vulnerable” or “VU.”

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