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Longnose spurdog (Squalus blainville) — Squalidae

Longnose spurdog

Squalus blainville
Family: Squalidae
DD · Data Deficient

The Longnose spurdog (Squalus blainville) is a brackish-water fish of the family Squalidae that grows up to 122 cm.

Length
121.6 cm
Water
Brackish
Depth
15.0–1500.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

Blainville's spurdog is a slender, small shark of the family Squalidae reaching about 120 cm. The grey, sometimes brownish body has large, greenish glossy eyes, a fairly long snout and a stout spine in front of each of the two dorsal fins; the belly is paler. The species lives along the outer edge of the continental shelf and slope in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, usually at tens to more than a thousand metres, often close to the bottom. It hunts bottom fish, crustaceans and squid. Reproduction is ovoviviparous and slow. Because little is known about its population, the IUCN assesses the species as Data Deficient (DD).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Longnose spurdog?

The Longnose spurdog has an elongate, eel-like body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Longnose spurdog live?

The Longnose spurdog lives in brackish water and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the Longnose spurdog get?

The Longnose spurdog grows to a maximum of about 122 cm.

Is the Longnose spurdog dangerous to humans?

No, the Longnose spurdog is harmless to humans.

Is the Longnose spurdog edible?

The Longnose spurdog is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Blainville's doornhaai sourced
English name
Longnose spurdog verified
Scientific name
Squalus blainville
Family
Squalidae
Other names
Blainville's dogfish; Dogfish; Longnose dogshark; Longnose spurdog verified

Appearance

Size class
Extra large verified
Max length (cm)
121.6 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Crescent (lunate) inferred
Mouth position
Inferior (downward) inferred
Lips
Thin inferred
Barbels
No verified
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
Yes verified

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Brackish sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
15.0 verified
Max depth (m)
1500.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore verified
Social behaviour
Small groups verified
Territorial
No verified
Activity
Nocturnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes verified
Sexual dimorphism
No verified

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten verified
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Squalus

More from the family Squalidae

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