Animal Species:Plunket's Dogfish, Centroscymnus plunketi (Waite, 1910)

Plunket's Dogfish is a grey to brown deepwater shark that occurs throughout the south-western Pacific.

Plunket's Dogfish, Centroscymnus plunketi

Plunket's Dogfish, Centroscymnus plunketi
Kerryn Parkinson © NORFANZ Founding Parties

Alternative Name/s

It has also been called Lord Plunket's Shark, Plunket Shark and Waite's Deepsea Dogfish.

Identification

Plunket's Dogfish is grey to brown. It has two dorsal fins, both of which are preceded by a spine. The second dorsal fin is slightly larger than the first. The pectoral fins are very broad. The teeth at the symphysis of the upper jaw are noticeably smaller than those in the fourth to eighth rows on either side.

The species was described in 1910 by Australian Museum ichthyologist Edgar Ravenswood Waite.

Size range

Adults grow to about 1.7 m in length. Young are born at around 32 cm to 36 cm in length. Males mature at about 1.1 m in length and females at about 1.3 m.

Distribution

The species occurs in the south-western Pacific.

In Australia it is known from off New South Wales and Tasmania.

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Plunket's Dogfish specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Habitat

It is known from temperate waters at continental shelf and slope depths.

Feeding and Diet

The diet consists mainly of fishes and cephalopods.

Classification

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

What does this mean?

References

  • Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  • Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
  • Stevens, J.D. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.

 


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Plunket's Dogfish, Centroscymnus plunketi, shark, grey, brown, deepwater, deepsea, Lord Plunket's Shark, Plunket Shark, Waite's Deepsea Dogfish, two dorsal fins, broad pectoral fins, > 1m, south-western Pacific, marine, adult, odd-shaped,