Cirrhigaleus
Rauhaut dogfish ( Cirrhigaleus asper )
Cirrhigaleus is a genus within the spiny dogfish ( Squalidae ), which consists of two or three kinds: the Mandarin mustache dogfish (C. barbatus ) and the Rauhaut dogfish (C. asper ) as a recognized species and the Southern Mandarin mustache dogfish described in 2007 ( C. australis).
Appearance and characteristics
The species of the genus Cirrhigaleus are medium-sized sharks with a maximum body length of 120 centimeters. They gave a typical squat body with a broad, flat head. Note the two barbels, which begin at the nostrils and the Mandarin mustache dogfish particularly long and up to the mouth.
They have a gray-brown back and a white belly coloration, the skin is compared to other sharks very coarse. The trailing edges of all fins are white without further drawing. Confusion of the two species can be avoided due to the much longer barbels of Mandarin mustache - spiny dogfish and the different distribution area.
You have no anal fin and two dorsal fins with the regulatory typical spines before the dorsal fin. The first dorsal fin starts behind the end of the pectoral fins and is slightly larger than the second dorsal fin. The pectoral fins are large and broadly triangular. Like all species of the order the animals have five gill slits and have a spray hole behind the eye.
Way of life
Both species live in coastal areas over the continental shelf and come in depths of 70 to over 600 meters in front. In this case, both live mainly near the ground or directly on the seabed. The food spectrum of Mandarin mustache - spiny dogfish is not yet known, the Rauhaut dogfish feeds on small bony fishes and mollusks such as squid. It is believed that the barbels contain chemoreceptors capable of detecting prey. For humans, both species are harmless.
They are like other species of the order viviparous, with the mother brings 10 to 22 young sharks to the world ( In Mandarin mustache dogfish has only been a litter of 10 young sharks documented ). Sexual maturity attain the sharks with a length of 85-110 centimeters.
Dissemination
The distribution areas of the species include several separate areas in the world's oceans. So the Rauhaut dogfish comes in the western Indian Ocean, off the coast of Africa, in the central Pacific and in the Gulf of Mexico and off the southern Brazilian coast. The Mandarin mustache dogfish is south of Japan before in the North Pacific and the newly described Southern Mandarin snouted Dogfish has a relatively large area of distribution in the reef areas off the east coast of New Zealand and Australia.
System
The genus Cirrhigaleus currently consists of two or three kinds: the Mandarin mustache dogfish (C. barbatus ) and the Rauhaut dogfish (C. asper ) as a recognized species and the Southern Mandarin mustache dogfish described in 2007 (C. australis), the occurrence of the the far broader than Mandarin mustache dogfish populations off the coasts of Australia and New Zealand, and therefore extends the former reduces to the North Pacific deposits.
Endangering
The Rauhaut dogfish is included in the Red List of IUCN as " data deficient ", so there are too few data for a risk assessment. It is fished commercially and is not caught only as by-catch in accordance. The Mandarin mustache dogfish is classified in the IUCN Red List as a kind of early warning ( " near threatened " ), as it is in its distribution area rarely seen or caught as by-catch in fisheries.