Largespine Velvet Dogfish

About the Largespine Velvet Dogfish

The Scymnodon Macracanthus, also known as the Largespine Velvet Dogfish, is a shark of the Somniosidae family found in the southeast Pacific Ocean from the Straits of Magellan and the Southwest Pacific from New Zealand.

This species’ habitat is on the lower continental slopes between latitudes 50°Sand 54°S in the southeast and southwest Pacific, at depths ranging from 650 and 920 m. Its maximum length is up to 68 cm TL. A rare species inhabiting lower continental slopes. Ovoviviparous with distinct pairing with embrace.

The Largespine Velvet Dogfish shark is of a dark brown or blackish colour, dorsal fins with fairly prominent fin spines, moderately long snout, lanceolate upper teeth and bladelike lower teeth with short, oblique cusps, stocky body that tapers abruptly from pectoral region, and moderately large tricuspidata and tricarinate lateral trunk denticles.

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Largespine Velvet Dogfish Gallery


Scientific Name Scymnodon macracanthus
OrderDog and Angelfish Sharks - Squaliformes
GenusScymnodon
CitesNot Listed
IUCNData Deficient
ReproductionOvoviviparous
SizeSmall
Litter Size Unknown
Common Length 68 cm
Max LenghtNA
Depth Range 650-920 m
DistributionSoutheast Pacific, Southwest Pacific
EnvironmentBathydemersal