Prickly Dogfish, Oxynotus bruniensis (Ogilby 1893)

Other Names: Prickley Dogfish, Rough Shark

Summary:

A small deep-sea shark covered in large extremely rough denticles - hence the common name. The body is deep, hump-backed and almost triangular in cross-section with a flattened underside, a small head with a short, blunt snout, and two sail-like dorsal fins, each preceded by a robust spine. Prickly Dogfish are uniformly greyish-brown with paler margins on the dorsal and caudal fins.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2024, Oxynotus bruniensis in Fishes of Australia, accessed 23 Apr 2025, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/2016

Prickly Dogfish, Oxynotus bruniensis (Ogilby 1893)

More Info

Distribution	Widespread in southern Australia from southern Queensland to the western part of the Great Australian Bight, Western Australia, including around Tasmania. The species also occurs in the Tasman Sea and throughout New Zealand.
Features	Vertebrae (precaudal) 58-63, (total) 87-94. Body deep, hump-backed, nearly triangular in cross-section; prominent ridges between paired fins; denticles large, skin very rough and prickly; slot-like mouth, with very long labial furrows; lanceolate teeth in upper jaw, blade-like teeth in lower jaw. All five pairs of gill slits situated entirely anterior to pectoral fins; spiracles present. Two large sail-like dorsal fins with spines; no anal fin; caudal fin heterocercal with indistinct lower lobe, subterminal notch present. Pectoral fins pointed.
Size	Maximum size is about 72 cm TL (total length).
Feeding	Carnivore. Finucci et al. (2016) found that Prickly Dogfish feed exclusively on the egg capsules of chimaeras.
Biology	Little is known of the biology. Prickly Dogfish are aplacental viviparous (ovoviviparous), and females appear to give birth to 7-8 young. The pups are born at a length of about 24 cm. Estimated size-at-maturity is 54·7 cm LT in males and 64·0 cm LT in females. Three gravid females (65·0, 67·5 and 71·2 cm LT) were observed, all with eight embryos. Size-at-birth was estimated to be 25–27 cm LT (Finucci et al. 2016).
Fisheries	Taken incidentally as bycatch in in deepwater benthic trawl fisheries.
Etymology	The species is named for Bruny Island, Tasmania, the type locality.
Species Citation	Centrina bruniensis, Ogilby 1893, Records of the Australian Museum 2(5): 62. Type locality: On the shore of Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2024
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Prickly Dogfish, Oxynotus bruniensis (Ogilby 1893)

References

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Finucci, B., Bustamante, C., Jones, E.G. & Dunn, M.R. 2016. Reproductive biology and feeding habits of the prickly dogfish Oxynotus bruniensis. Journal of Fish Biology https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.13116

Finucci, B. & Kyne, P.M. 2018. Oxynotus bruniensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T41840A68639645. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T41840A68639645.en. Accessed on 02 April 2024.

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Morton, A. 1894. Description of a new species of shark. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1893: 211-213 (as Centrina bruniensis, type locality washed up on the beach at Bruny island, Tasmania - description based on same specimen as Ogilby's holotype) See ref at BHL

Ogilby, J.D. 1893. Description of a new shark from the Tasmanian coast. Records of the Australian Museum 2(5): 62-63. See ref at BHL

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