Spurdog
size:
up to 160 centimeters
weight:
up to 9.1 kilograms
color:
gray with white spots and dirty white belly
age:
up to 75 years
food:
fish, such as lesser sandeel, herring, haddock and cuttlefish
enemies:
other sharks
reproduction:
ovovivarity
maturity: after 12 years
number: 1-15 young per nest
- Dut: Doornhaai (speerhaai, spoorhaai, stekelhaai)
- Lat: Squalus acanthias
- Eng: Spurdog (Picked dogfish, Spiny dogfish)
- Ger: Dornhai
- Dan: Pighaj
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- Spurdog, Ecomare
Spurdog
Spurdogs are regularly caught by fishermen in the North Sea. In October 2008, the fishing vessel TX68 caught many spurdogs in its net in just one fishing attempt. The crew filled more than 60 crates just with this shark. This shark is named after the characteristic spines, or spurs, on the front of its dorsal fins, which are defense weapons. This creates a problem for fishermen when trying to remove them from their nets. Otherwise, spurdogs are harmless.
- Distribution of the spurdog
- Distribution of spurdogs on a world scale, Ecomare
Spurdogs are found in all temperate and sub-tropical coastal waters, including the North Sea. They usually swim close to the sea bottom and often live in groups. That is why you can run into large numbers at one sighting.
Up till the 1970s, the spurdog was the most common shark in the North Sea. It has since become more rare. Less than 10% of the number of spurdogs live in the North Sea region as in the beginning of the 20th century. Every once in awhile, there is an unexplained increase in the population.
- Characteristics
- Young spurdog
- young Spurdog, foto fitis, sytske dijksen
Young animals always look cute. Sharks too!
WWW
- You-tube film of cultivated spurdogs with yolk sac
See also
Info
Copyright Ecomare
