ANIMAL SPECIES:Prickly Dogfish, Oxynotus bruniensis (Ogilby, 1893)
The Prickly Dogfish has a hump-backed body which has a flat lower surface. The body is nearly triangular in cross-section. The species has prominent abdominal ridges, two sail-like dorsal fins which are each preceded by a spine, and lacks an anal fin. It is brown to grey in colour, although the dorsal fins and posterior margins of the pectorals and pelvics are often translucent to white. The skin of the Prickly Dogfish is very rough, giving rise to the common name.
Identification
The Prickly Dogfish has a hump-backed body which has a flat lower surface. The body is nearly triangular in cross-section. The species has prominent abdominal ridges, two sail-like dorsal fins which are each preceded by a spine, and lacks an anal fin. It is brown to grey in colour, although the dorsal fins and posterior margins of the pectorals and pelvics are often translucent to white. The skin of the Prickly Dogfish is very rough, giving rise to the common name.
Size range
The Prickly Dogfish grows to 72cm in length.Distribution
The species has been recorded from off the central New South Wales coast to the Great Australian Bight, including Tasmania.
Worldwide, there are four species in the Family Oxynotidae. Only one species is known from Australia
Habitat
The species occurs in temperate marine waters in depths from 45 m to 650 m.
Behaviour and adaptations
Feeding and Diet
Little is known of the biology of the Prickly Dogfish. It has short, snout, lanceolate (spear or lance-shaped) teeth in the upper jaw, and blade-like teeth in the lower jaw. This arrangement of teeth and the fleshy lipped mouth bears some resemblance to the Cookie Cutter Shark.
Other behaviours and adaptations
Fishes which swim in open water are often spindle-shaped (fusiform, meaning tapering to both ends). This is the most energy efficient body shape for pelagic fishes. For fishes that live on or near the bottom, a spindle-shaped body is less energy efficient (Pridmore & Barwick, 1993). These fishes (the Prickly Dogfish included) often have cambered (humped) body shapes.
Classification
- Species:
- bruniensis
- Genus:
- Oxynotus
- Family:
- Oxynotidae
- Class:
- Chondrichthyes
- Subphylum:
- Vertebrata
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Kingdom:
- Animalia
References
- 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.
- Glover, C.J.M. in Gomon, M.F., C.J.M. Glover & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513, Pl. 1-84.
- Pridmore, P.A. & R.E. Barwick, 1993. Post-cranial morphologies of the Late Devonian dipnoans Griphognathus and Chirodipterus and locomotor implications. Mem. Ass. Australas. Palaeontols. 15: 161-182 ISSN 0810-8889.
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