Bramble shark

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Bramble shark
From plate 3 of Oceanic Ichthyology by G. Brown Goode and Tarleton H. Bean, published 1896.
Conservation status
Data deficient (DD)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Squaliformes Family: Echinorhinidae Genus: Echinorhinus Species: E. brucus
Binomial name
Echinorhinus brucus (Bonnaterre, 1788)

Sharks Portal

The bramble shark, Echinorhinus brucus, is covered with large, thorn-like denticles, and hence the name "bramble" shark.

[edit] Physical characteristics

Bramble sharks have a long cylindrical body covered with large protruding denticles, no anal fin, two small dorsal fins placed far on the back just before the tail, and five pairs of gill slits. They can reach a maximum length of 3.1 m (10 ft).

[edit] Distribution

The bramble shark is found in the Western Atlantic from Georgia to Maine, Argentina, the Eastern Atlantic from South Africa north to Norway, most of the Mediterranean, Mozambique, the Arabian Sea near Oman, the Indian Ocean of south India and Sri Lanka, the Pacific Ocean near Honshū, Japan, south Australia, and New Zealand.

[edit] Habits and habitat

The bramble shark is a deepwater shark common only in the Eastern Atlantic from Portugal north, and the North Sea. It lives on the bottom of the sea between 18 to 900 m deep, and eats small sharks, bony fish, and crabs. It is ovoviviparous with up to 24 pups per litter.

[edit] See also

• List of sharks

[edit] References

• Paul (2003). Echinorhinus brucus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as data deficient
• Echinorhinus brucus (TSN 160713). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 23 January 2006.
• "Echinorhinus brucus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 09 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
• FAO Species Catalogue Volume 4 Parts 1 and 2 Sharks of the World

[edit] External links

• Elasmo Research, more info on Bramble shark