Prickly shark

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Prickly shark
Conservation status
Near Threatened (NT)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Squaliformes Family: Echinorhinidae Genus: Echinorhinus Species: E. cookei
Binomial name
Echinorhinus cookei (Pietschmann, 1928)

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The prickly shark, Echinorhinus cookei, is a species of large bottom dwelling shark from the Pacific Ocean.

[edit] Physical characteristics

The prickly shark has no anal fin and two small spineless dorsal fins set far on the back by the tail. Maximum length 4 m. Looks very similar to the bramble shark but without the thorny denticles.

[edit] Distribution

The prickly shark occurs throughout the Pacific, including Taiwan, New Zealand, Hawaii, California and Chile, among other locations.

[edit] Habits and habitat

The prickly shark lives along shelves and slopes at depths between 11 and 425 m. It is often found in submarine canyons. Other sharks and bony fish are its usual food but it will also eat octopus, squid, and even catshark eggcases. Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with up to 114 pups in a litter.

[edit] References

• Paul (2003). Echinorhinus cookei. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is near threatened
• Echinorhinus cookei (TSN 160716). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on 30 January 2006.
• "Echinorhinus cookei". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 10 2005 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2005.
• ↑  Brito, J. (2004). Presence of the smooth hammerhead Sphyrna zygaena (Carchariniformes: Sphyrnidae) and new records of prickly shark Echinorhinus cookei (Squaliformes: Squalidae) in San Antonio, central Chile (abstract in English, text in Spanish). Investigaciones marinas 32 (2).
• FAO Species Catalogue Volume 4 Parts 1 and 2 Sharks of the World