Dogfish
Physical Description
These species are grey to brown and have small white spots on the lateral line of their body. They have large eyes, white belly and venomous spines present on the first and second dorsal fins. The anal fin is absent in these species. The adult can measure up to a size of 1.6 meters whereas their size at the time of birth is about (22 to 33) cm. They may have a life span of around (25 to 100) years.
Habitat and Behavior
These fishes are the bottom feeders and can be found over mud and sand bottoms. They are also found over rocky reefs. These creatures like to stay at the water temperature of about (7 to 15) degree Celsius and at the depth of around 2400 feet. These species are found world-wide in the subarctic and temperate waters in the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. These species are also found in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea. These creatures either move in groups or alone. They may form schools with the other species too such as the smooth hounds and leopard sharks.
Diet
The food of these species consists mainly of bony fishes, but they also feed on squid, octopus and crustaceans other than these bony fishes.
Breeding / Reproduction
The breeding habits of these species are very similar to that of that Great White Shark. They have a characteristic of "ovoviviparity". This means that when the egg hatches, the young ones get developed inside the body of the female. The gestation period of these species is about (18 to 24) months. The maturity rate is quite slow in these species, which evokes the danger of over fishing of these species.
Dogfish Shark and Human Being
These are curious creature and harmless to human being. They approach divers and sometimes accompany in their dives as well. The only danger is their venomous spines, and so one should be careful of the venomous spines of these species.
Dogfish Fishing
In the olden days, the fishing of these species was done by hook and bait. But, later the fishing was done using the net or seine. It has been noted that if these fish gets caught in a group in the net or seine, it damages the net so badly that it may take days to repair that. Its meat is not in the great demand in the hotels or restaurants but it is being caught for its liver oil and also used as the fertilizer. The liver oil of these species is rich in vitamin A.
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