Order SQUALIFORMES

Common name: Bramble, sleeper and dogfish sharks
Summary:

A large and diverse group of sharks with two dorsal fins, usually commencing with a spine, the first dorsal fin originating well before the pelvic fins; 5 gill slits, spiracles, and skin densely covered in denticles. All species lack an anal fin.

The Order comprises more than 130 species in seven families, and includes the very small pygmy sharks of the genus Squaliolus, and large sleeper sharks that grow to more lengths of more than 6 metres.

Dogfish sharks live in coastal and deepwater habitats, and some species are bioluminescent. Representatives of all families are found in Australian waters.

Author: Dianne J. Bray
Cite this page as:
Dianne J. Bray, Dogfish Sharks, SQUALIFORMES in Fishes of Australia, accessed 25 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/order/46

Order References

Compagno, L.J.V. 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Sharks of the World. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125. Rome : FAO Vol. 4(1) pp. 1-249

Compagno, L.J.V. & Niem, V.H. 1998. Hexanchidae, Echinorhinidae, Squalidae. pp. 1208-1232 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, V.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 2 687-1396 pp.

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

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

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Straube N, Li C, Julien M. Claes JM, Corrigan S, Naylor GJP. (2015) Molecular phylogeny of Squaliformes and first occurrence of bioluminescence in sharks. BMC Evolutionary Biology (2015) 15: 162 DOI 10.1186/s12862-015-0446-6