Arrow-head Dogfish

Shark Database | Dog and Angelfish Sharks - Squaliformes | Arrow-head Dogfish

About the Arrow-head Dogfish

The Arrowhead Dogfish is a small deep-water shark with a widespread but patchy distribution. It can be found on continental and insular slopes at depths between 205 and 1,800 m (673–5,906 ft).

Biology and Behaviour

The depth at which Arrowhead Dogfish occur varies depending on the region. In the Northwest Atlantic, they occur at depths of 412 to 617 m (1,352–2,024 ft), while off the coast of the Canary Islands, they have been caught at depths between 600 and 1,500 m (1,968–4,921 ft).

Arrowhead dogfish have a long, pointed snout, a long, low first dorsal fin and a subcaudal keel on the underside of their caudal peduncle. They are brownish-grey or dark grey in colour.

They mainly feed on bony fish, squids and crustaceans.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Arrowhead dogfish are ovoviviparous. This means embryos develop inside eggs within the uterus and are nourished by yolk. Litter size can vary from 5 to 7 pups, which measure over 31 cm long at birth. Females mature at 62 to 80 cm (24.4–31.5 in), while males mature between 43 and 67 cm (16.9–26.4 in). The maximum length reported is 97 cm (38.2 in).

Conservation

The IUCN lists arrowhead dogfish as Near Threatened because of population declines in parts of its range associated with high fishing pressure. It is caught both as a targeted species and as bycatch in midwater and demersal trawls, demersal longlines, and gillnets. Conservation measures remain limited in much of the species’ range.

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