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Species Fact Sheets Oxynotus centrina (Linnaeus, 1758)

Oxynotus centrina: (click for more)

Synonyms Centrina salviani Risso, 1826 Centrina oxynotus Swainson, 1839 Centrina vulpecula Moreau, 1881

FAO Names En - Angular roughshark, Fr - Centrine commune, Sp - Cerdo marino. 3Alpha Code: OXY Taxonomic Code: 1090500601

Scientific Name with Original Description Squalus centrina Linnaeus, 1758, Syst.Nat., ed. 10, 1:233. Holotype : Unknown. Type Locality: "Mare Mediterraneo".

Diagnostic Features fieldmarks: Short, blunt snout, high, sail-like dorsal fins with spines, no anal fin, first dorsal spine inclined forward, high, thick, triangular body with large, rough denticles, massive knobs on supraorbital ridges, vertically elongated spiracles, lanceolate upper teeth, lower bladelike teeth in less than 12 rows, colour pattern of darker marks on a light background.

Spiracle large and vertically elongated, crescent or oval in shape. Supraorbital ridges enlarged over eyes, with a knoblike posterior expansion studded with large denticles and ending in front of spiracles. Apices of dorsal fins broadly triangular, posterior margins shallowly concave; first dorsal spine inclined forward. Grey or grey- brown above and below, with darker blotches on head and sides; a light horizontal line separates dark areas on head and another crosses cheeks below eyes.

Geographical Distribution

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Eastern Atlantic: Bay of Biscay and Mediterranean Sea to Senegal, north apparently as a stray to Cornwall, England; also possibly from Liberia to Nigeria, Gabon to Namibia, and South Africa.

Habitat and Biology An uncommon, little-known bottom shark of the continental shelf and upper slope,at depths of 60 to 660 m. Ovoviviparous, litters probably of 7 or 8 young. Eats polychaetes.

Size Maximum total length about 150 cm, but most individuals smaller; maturing at about 50 cm.

Interest to Fisheries Caught in bottom and pelagic trawls. Utilized for fishmeal, oil, and smoked and dried salted for human consumption.Apparently not abundant and mainly a minor bycatch of large offshore trawler fleets.

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Global Capture Production for species (tonnes) Source: FAO FishStat 200

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Oxynotus centrina

Remarks Bass, d'Aubrey and Kistnasamy (1976) noted that the Oxynotus recorded as O. centrina from Angola, Namibia, and South Africa may not be that species but an undescribed one, differing from O. centrina in having a much shorter interdorsal space. If this is correct, the records of O. centrina from tropical West Africa need to be reexamined, but until the problem is resolved the southern and southwestern African Oxynotus is retained in O. centrina.

Source of Information FAO species catalogue Vol.4. Sharks of the world. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date Part 1 - Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. Compagno, L.J.V.1984FAO Fisheries Synopsis. , (125) Vol.4, Part 1.

Bibliography Bass, D'Aubrey & Kistnasamy, 1976 Bigelow & Schroeder, 1957 Cadenat, 1957 Cadenat & Blache, 1981 Compagno, 1981 Lozano y Rey, 1928 Maurin & Bonnet, 1970 Norman, 1932 Poll, 1951

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