Sherwood’s Dogfish

About the Sherwood’s Dogfish

Sherwood’s dogfish is a very rare and little-known species of sleeper shark recorded from off Australia and New Zealand in the Eastern Indian and Southwest Pacific Oceans. This species is known from only five individuals and has been recorded from the open ocean at depths of 170-500 m (558 – 1,640 ft). . They grow to at least 80cm (31.5 in) but nothing else is known of their ecology.

They’re presumed to be ovoviviparous, meaning one that produces young by means of eggs that hatch inside the mother’s body. The developing babies get their food from the egg yolk, not from the mother’s body, and are then born alive, and to be slow-swimming like other sleeper sharks.

Sherwood’s Dogfish is rarely taken as incidental bycatch in benthic trawl fisheries. There are no species-specific management actions in place at this time. Given the lack of information on its distribution, biology, and in particular interactions with fisheries, this species is assessed as Data Deficient.

Do you have images or videos of Sherwood’s Dogfishs?
Submit them to [email protected].