Spurdog

Fact File:

Common Name(s):
Spurdog (Piked Dogfish)

Scientific Name:
Squalus acanthias (Linnaeus, 1758)

Usual Size:
To believed 130cm

UK Record Weights from rod/line:

Shore:16lb 12oz 8dr

Boat:21lb 3oz 7dr

MAFF Minimum Size:
Shore:
Boat:

Identification:
The upper body is dark grey or black and white spots are usually present. The under-side is white. There are spines in front of both dorsal fins.

Breeding:
Aplacentally viviparous (live bearing). Litter size between 1-20 pups which are 20-30cm at birth. Females mature at 70-100cm. Males mature at 55-60cm.

Habitat:
Found within the upper layers down to depths of 900m. Mostly a mid-water and bottom schooling shark.

Food:Fish eater (Herring, Sprats, Pilchards, Garfish, Sand eels, Flatfish and Cod species) although known to take crustaceans and cephalopods (Squid).

Range:
Both and inshore and offshore species preferring a temperature range of between 7 to 150C.

Additional Notes:
Known to live longer than 40 years.

REFERENCES:

A Field Guide to The Sharks of British Coastal Waters - Vas 1991

FAO Species Catalogue 4 - Sharks of The World - Compagno

Fishes of the North-Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean - Whitehead, Bauchot, Hureau, Nielsen, Tortonese

Key to the Fishes of Northern Europe - Wheeler

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