Oxynotus centrina (Linnaeus, 1758)

Angular rough shark

Oxynotus sp. on the Propeller Mounds.  Images provided by MARUM, Bremen.

Oxynotus centrina, a member of the family Oxynotidae is a small bottom living shark recorded from 60 to 660 m.  It is found in the Mediterranean and into the adjacent Atlantic, although rarely extending into northern waters (Whitehead et al., 1989).

It is recognised by its two high, broad based dorsal fins.  The first dorsal has a forward pointing spine, while the second is sloping backwards.  The body is triangular in cross section, deep and compressed.  The colouring is black to dark brown with dark blotches on the sides of the head.  Lengths typically range up to 60 cm altough speciemens of 1.5 m have been recorded.  The shark matures at about 50 cm (Whitehead et al., 1989).

Oxynotus centrina were recorded from the Propeller Mounds in the northern Porcupine Seabight, during the Caracole cruise of August 2001.

The angular rough shark appears to be of minor commercial importance.

There is more information available for this species in FishBase. 

Prepared by: Ecological Consultancy Services Ltd www.ecoserve.ie