Remarks
Links: species description at CICIMAR (Centro Interdisciplinario de Ciencias Marinas)

Common names
Dornfisch, Dornhai, Gefleckter Dornhai, Gemeiner Dornhai, Grundhai, Schillerlocken, Cazón espinoso común, Galludo, Galludo espinoso, Mielga, Pinchudo, Tollo de cachos, Aiguillat, Aiguillat commun, Aiguillat tacheté, Blue dog, Common spiny fish, Darwen salmon, Dogfish, Flake, Grayfish, Huss, Pacific dogfish, Picked dogfish, Piked dogfish, Rigg, Rock salmon, Southern spiny dogfish, Spiky dog, Spiny dogfish, Spotted spiny dogfish, Spring dogfish, Spur dogfish, Spurdog, Victorian spotted dogfish, White-spotted dogfish, White-spotted spurdog, Whitespotted dogfish, Agoggiau, Aguggiao rosso, Agugliau, Agusèo, Archilao, Arculate, Arquilato, Asià a muso a schizzo, Caddutu, Cagnoleto, Cagnolo, Can bianco, Can spinoso, Cendroene, Centrune, Cintroni, Cintrune, Ferraro, Ghialoru "mperiali, Ogghialuni, Smoca, Spinarolo, Spinarolo bruno, Spinarolo imperiale, Spineddu, Spinoelo, Stiracciole, Ugghiarule, Ugghiatu, Ujato, Ujatu, Cação-bagre, Cação-de-espinho, Cação-espinho, Cação-prego, Galhudo, Galhudo-malhado, Malhado melga

Short Description
This moderately sized species is distinguished by the following set of characters: very slender body, abdomen width 7.2-9.2% TL; narrow head, width at mouth 7.9-10.2% TL; mouth width 1.7-2.2 times its horizontal prenarial length; moderately long snout, preoral length 2.2-2.5 times horizontal prenarial length, 8.5-9.8% TL; single-lobed anterior nasal flap; small dorsal fins, raked, first dorsal-fin height 1.1-1.3 times its inner margin length, second dorsal-fin height 0.7-0.9 times its inner margin length; origin of first dorsal-fin located just posterior to pectoral-fin free rear tips; exposed bases of dorsal-fin spines relatively narrow, 0.4-0.7% TL; short spine of first dorsal fin, exposed length 1.7-2.7% TL; pectoral-fin anterior margin 1.9-3.1 times its inner margin length; preventral caudal margin 1.9-2.6 times inner margin of pelvic fin; pale caudal fin with poorly demarcated, whitish margin, blackish caudal blotch at the apex of upper lobe, anterior margins of both lobes whitish in juveniles; dark caudal bar absent; dorsal and lateral surfaces of body bluish grey with an irregular array of moderately-large white spots; flank denticles tricuspid; monospondylous centra 41-45, precaudal centra 74-79, total centra 100-105 (Ref. 58446).

Distribution
Western Atlantic: Greenland to Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: Iceland and Murmansk Coast (Russia) to South Africa, including the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Western Pacific: Bering Sea to New Zealand. Reports from off New Guinea are doubtful [1388]. Eastern Pacific: Bering Sea to Chile.

Human uses
fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Biology
Ovoviviparous, with litters of 1 to 20 young. Gestation period of 18 to 24 months, longest known of all chondrichthyans (Ref. 26346). Size at birth 18-30 cm (Ref. 26346). Sex ratio at birth is 1:1. The mother shark experiences a series of rhythmic contractions, just like in mammals, and the young are delivered head first. Mating may occur in winter. Common in cold waters; usually at temperatures of 6-15°C (Ref. 5951) and inhabits rocky regions [17641]. A carnivore [17641] and opportunist feeder (Ref. 43115). Feeds on fishes (mackerel, sand lance, silver hake, white hake, haddock, pollock, Atlantic salmon, menhaden, winter flounder and longhorn sculpin), amphipods, crabs, squid, shrimp, polychaete worms, sea anemones, jellyfish, and red, green and brown algae; herring, capelin and cod found to be important foods (Ref. 5951). Newly born are prone to predaceous bony fishes and sharks, while juveniles and adults may fall prey to swordfish and grey seals (Ref. 5951). Parasites of the species include: 1 protozoan, 2 monogeneans, 5 trematodes, 4 cestodes, 5 nematodes, 1 hirudineid and 1 copepod (Ref. 5951).

Size / Weight / Age
160 cm TL (male/unsexed; [518]); 120 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 9,100 g (Ref. 11389); max. reported age: 75 years (Ref. 39247)

Habitat
benthopelagic; oceanodromous [17660]; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 1460 m (Ref. 26346), usually ? - 200 m (Ref. 9253)

Parasites arranged by Pollerspöck, Jürgen
Myxozoa

• Chloromyxum squali GLEESON & ADLARD, 2012 [15542]

Monogenea

• Amphibdelloides maccallumi (JOHNSTON & TIEGS, 1922) PRICE, 1937 [17205]
• Calicotyle ramsayi ROBINSON, 1961 [16602] [17436]
• Erpocotyle abbreviata (OLSSEN, 1876) [9355]
• Heterocotyle minima (MACCALLUM, 1916) [9644] [17134] [17205] [17150]
• Microbothrium apiculatum OLSSON, 1869 [17134] [17150] [17205]
• Squalonchocotyle abbreviata (OLSSON, 1876) CERFONTAINE, 1899 [17205] [17150]
• Squalonchocotyle sp. [17150]
• Squalonchocotyle squali MACCALLUM, 1931 (synonyms Erpocotyle squali (MACCALLUM, 1931) [16602]) [17150] [17205]
• Squalotrema llewellyni KEARN & GREEN, 1983 [15247] [17002]

Cestoda

• Acanthobothrium coronatum (RUDOLPHI, 1819) VAN BENEDEN, 1849 (host Squalus vulgaris = synonym of Squalus acanthias [16175])
• Chimaerarhynchus rougetae BEVERIDGE & CAMPBELL, 1989 [16112] [17839]
• Eutetrarhynchus ruficollis (EYSENHARDT, 1829) [16112]
• Gilquinia robertsoni BEVERIDGE, 1990 [16112]
• Gilquinia squali (FABRICIUS, 1794) [15747] [9355] [16112] [16354] [16251] [17079]
• Grillotia (Christianella) minuta (VAN BENEDEN, 1850) [16112]
• Grillotia erinaceus (VAN BENEDEN, 1858) [16112]
• Hepatoxylon megacephalum (RUDOLPHI, 1819) [16112]
• Hepatoxylon trichiuri (HOLTEN, 1802) [16112] [16602]
• Lacistorhynchus tenuis (VAN BENEDEN, 1858) [16112]
• Nybelinia anthicosum HEINZ & DAILEY, 1974 [16112]
• Nybelinia sp. [16112]
• Otobothrium cysticum (MAYER, 1842) [16112]
• Phyllobothrium sp. [12575]
• Phyllobothrium squali YAMAGUTI, 1952 [7382] [17079]
• Sphyriocephalus viridis (WAGENER, 1854) PINTNER, 1913 [16112]
• Trilocularia acanthiae-vulgaris (Olsson, 1867) [16245]
• Trilocularia acanthiaevulgaris (OLSSON, 1867) [16354] [16602] [17079]
• Trilocularia gracilis OLSSEN, 1869 [9355]

Trematoda

• Hemiurus levinseni ODHNER, 1905 [12575]
• Otodistomum veliporum (CREPLIN, 1837) STAFFORD, 1904 [12575]
• Probolitrema philippi WOOLCOCK, 1935 [16602]
• Prosorhynchus squamatus ODHNER, 1905 [12575]
• Steganoderma formosum STAFFORD, 1904 [12575]

Nematoda

• Anisakis simplex RUDOLPHI, 1809 [9355]
• Anisakis sp. [12575] [16602]
• Hysterothylacium aduncum (RUDOLPHI, 1802) [9355]
• Phlyctainophora lamnae Steiner, 1921 [9643]
• Phlyctainophora squali MUDRY & DAILEY, 1969 [15949]
• Pseudanisakis tricupola GIBSON, 1973 [17029]

Copepoda

• Achtheinus oblongus WILSON, 1908 (synonyms Perissopus oblongus (WILSON, 1908) [15303] [16544])[14331]
• Achtheinus parvidens WILSON (1923) [15303]
• Alebion gracilis WILSON, 1905 [14785]
• Caligus coryphaenae STEENSTRUP & LÜTKEN, 1861 [15303]
• Caligus curtus MÜLLER, 1785 [9355]
• Caligus euthynus KURIAN, 1961 [15303]
• Charopinus dalmanni (RETZIUS, 1829) [15303]
• Demoleus latus SHIINO, 1954 [16603] [16602]
• Echthrogaleus coleoptratus (GUÉRIN-MÉNEVILLE, 1837) [9355]
• Eudactylina acanthii SCOTT, 1901 [9355] [15303] [16609]
• Eudactylina acuta VAN BENEDEN, 1853 [16609]
• Eudactylina valei NUNES-RUIVO, 1956 [15303]
• Pandarus bicolor LEACH, 1816 [9355] [15303] [16599] [16603] [16609]
• Pseudocharopinus bicaudatus (KRØYER, 1837) [9355] [16609]
• Trebius caudatus KRØYER, 1838 [14785] [16609]

Hirudinea

• Cystobranchus vividus VERRILL, 1872 (synonyms Calliobdella vivida (VERRILL, 1872) [17101]