Scyliorhinus stellaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Nursehound
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Scyliorhinus stellaris, a member of the family Scyliorhinidae is a common bottom living shark recorded from inshore shallows to depths of 65 m. It is found on Atlantic coasts from southern Scandinavia to Morocco, and in the Mediterranean on rough or rocky substrate (Whitehead et al., 1989).
It is recognised by its two dorsal fins, the first slightly larger than the second and originating over or behind the middle of the pelvic base. The snout is shorter than the width across the mouth and the upper lip slightly overlaps the lower lip at the corners of the mouth. It is one of the larger catsharks, growing to 1.6 m. The colouring is a fairly distinctive sandy grey with sparsely distributed, dark, round spots with a diameter larger than the pupil. The closely related smallspotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula has a similar distribution but smaller spots (Whitehead et al., 1989).
During the present survey, the nursehound was observed swimming in the transitional zone and over the seabed adjacent to the Sula reefs. It was also observed resting near the reefs. They appeared somewhat disturbed by the presence of the camera.
The nursehound does not appear to be of direct commercial importance but bycatch can be sold locally as rock salmon or as bait for lobster pots.
There is more information available for this species in FishBase.
Prepared by: Ecological Consultancy Services Ltd www.ecoserve.ie