Combtooth dogfish

Combtooth dogfish
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Order:	Squaliformes
Family:	Etmopteridae
Genus:	Centroscyllium
Species:	C. nigrum
Binomial name
Centroscyllium nigrum Garman, 1899
Range of combtooth dogfish (in blue)

The combtooth dogfish (Centroscyllium nigrum) is a little-known, deepwater dogfish shark, named after its teeth that are comb-shaped.

Description

The combtooth dogfish has no anal fin, grooved dorsal spines, two dorsal fins of about same size, a pointed nose, large eyes, small gill slits, a short abdomen, a short caudal peduncle, and is blackish-brown in color with white-tipped fins. Like all dogfish sharks, it has 2 spines in front of its 2 dorsal fins. It grows to a maximum of 50cm. It has a faint tiger-like band held together by the lateral line that has photophores that emit light to attract prey. Immature pups are born at 11-13cm. It has a spiracle behind each eye.

Diet

It consists of eating small fish, shrimp, and cephalopods.

Habits and Habitat

It is an uncommon deepwater shark found close to the bottom between 400 and 1,145m. It is found in the eastern Pacific and around Hawaii.

References

• Concha, F., Ebert, D.A., Herman, K. & Kyne, P.M. (2020). "Centroscyllium nigrum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020. Retrieved 17 January 2021.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• "Centroscyllium nigrum". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 6 February 2006.
• Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Centroscyllium nigrum". FishBase. June 2006 version.
• FAO Species Catalogue Volume 4 Parts 1 and 2 Sharks of the World