Family OXYNOTIDAE

Common name: Prickly Dogfishes, Rough Sharks

Silhouette

  • identify fish
Summary:
Bizarre easily recognised sharks with ahump-backed body that is almost triangular in cross-section. Prickly dogfishes have prominent ridges between the pectoral and pelvic fin bases, widely-spaced sail-like dorsal fins each with a sharp spine, very rough skin and no anal fin.

Teeth in the upper jaw are finely serrated and dagger-like, those in the lower jaw are broadly triangular and blade-like.

Image Gallery

Cite this page as:
Dianne J. Bray, Prickly Dogfishes, OXYNOTIDAE in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Sep 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/family/162

More Info

Family Taxonomy

 A small family with a single genus and 5 species. A single species is found in southern Australia.

Species live near the bottom, on the continental shelf and slope in depths of 50 to 1000 m. 

Author

 Dianne J. Bray

References

Compagno, L.J.V., Dando, M. & Fowler, S. 2005. A Field Guide to the Sharks of the World. London : Collins 368 pp.

Hoese, D.F. & Gates, J.E. 2006. Families Dalatiidae and Centrophoridae. pp. 140-152 in Beesley, P.L. & Wells, A. (eds). Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35 Australia : ABRS & CSIRO Publishing Parts 1-3 2178 pp. [147]

Last, P.R. & Stevens, J.D. 2009. Sharks and Rays of Australia. Collingwood : CSIRO Publishing Australia 2, 550 pp. [97]

McCulloch, A.R. 1914. Report on some fishes obtained by the F.I.S. Endeavour on the coasts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South and South-Western Australia. Part 2. Biological Results of the Fishing Experiments carried on by the F.I.S. Endeavour 1909-1914 2(3): 77-165 figs 1-15 pls 13-34 [pl. 13]

White, W. 2008. Shark Families Heterodontidae to Pristiophoridae. pp. 32-100 in Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp. [94]