Photo © Alexa Elliot
Photo © Alexa Elliot
Photo © Alexa Elliot
Typical species:
Prickly dogfish
Photo © BluePlanetArchive.com
Genera:
1
Species:
5
Roughsharks
The family of rough sharks consists of only 4 species. They have a very unique appearance including an unmistakable short body with strong abdominal ridges and very high, sail-like spined dorsal fins. Rough sharks possess a head which is slightly depressed, with large spiracles behind the eyes. They prefer deeper water over the continental shelves or upper slopes between 40 to about 700 m depths. Judging from their appearance they are probably sluggish animals. Their mouths are very small with small but with strong teeth, suggesting a diet of small bottom invertebrates and fishes. Rough sharks show an ovoviviparous style of reproduction (aplacental viviparity) with a litter of 7 or 8. All species belong to the same genus, Oxynotus.