The Primorsky Aquarium enlarges its collection of spiny dogfish sharks
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The spiny dogfish sharks (Squalus acanthias), also known as spurdogs and piked dogfish sharks, have been caught in the area of Vostok Bay in the Sea of Japan. A small seiner carrying several specialists of the Primorsky Aquarium fished for walleye pollock and took seven spiny dogfish as by-catch.
“Fortunately, the trawl was towed at a shallow depth, less than 50 metres”, says Sergey Pavlov, a specialist of the Department of the Far Eastern Seas Aquatic Organisms. “If it had gone deeper, the spiny dogfish wouldn’t have survived the changes in pressure and temperature. Though dogfish sharks are bottom dwellers, we managed to pick them up in midwater. Shark season has begun, and local fishermen often meet spiny dogfish. But it’s not an easy task to catch these sharks without hurting them and assure their survival”.
All seven fish are active and eat well. The sharks are aged from 1 to 2, in length they vary from 50 to 100 cm. Now they are being kept in the Research Building for Adaptation of the Primorsky Aquarium. When the adaptation period is over, the fish will be relocated to the Kelp Forest tank which serves as a home for three dogfish sharks captured before.
This tank is one of the largest tanks in the Aquarium: its bottom has an area of 58 square meters, and its height is about 7 meters. Due to high transparency of the huge water column in the tank it’s possible to get a close look at the sharks.
General information:
Squalus is a genus of dogfish sharks in the family Squalidae in the order Sqaliformes. It’s one of the most widespread species of shark. This species has a worldwide distribution in temperate waters. Maximum recorded length – 160 cm. Males mature at the age of 11, females mature at the age of 18 to 21. Spiny dogfish can be found at depths up to 1000 m. Lifespan is up to 75 years.
Dogfish sharks pose no threat to humans and there have never been any reports about their attacks on people. Like other shark species, they continually shed their teeth replacing those that fall out during their lifetime.
Spiny dogfish got their name due to sharp spines they have in front of each dorsal fin. The spines are believed to be venomous but it’s not true: they are coated with mucus full of numerous microorganisms. When a spine pierces skin, they get into the wound and cause an infection.
