Roughskin spurdog
Rauhaut dogfish ( Cirrhigaleus asper )
The Rauhaut dogfish ( Cirrhigaleus asper ) is one of three species of the genus Cirrhigaleus within the spiny dogfish ( Squalidae ). The range of the species includes several separate areas in the western Indian Ocean off the African coast, in the central Pacific and in the Gulf of Mexico and off the southern Brazilian coast.
Appearance and characteristics
The Rauhaut dogfish shark is a medium with a known maximum length of 118 centimeters. He has a stocky body with a broad, flat head. Striking the two short barbels are starting at the nostrils and up to the mouth.
He has 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 can only with the mustache Mandarin dogfish (C. barbatus ) and the Southern Mandarin mustache dogfish (C. australis) occur, but with vastly longer beards and are mainly found off the coasts of New Zealand, eastern Australia and southern Japan.
It has 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.
Dissemination
The range of the species includes several separate areas in the western Indian Ocean off the African coast, in the central Pacific and in the Gulf of Mexico and off the southern Brazilian coast.
Way of life
The Rauhaut dogfish live in coastal areas over the continental shelf and is found at depths of 70-600 meters. He lives probably especially near the ground or directly on the seabed. He rarely discovered in bays and estuaries. It feeds on small bony fishes and mollusks such as squid and it is assumed that the barbels contain chemoreceptors capable of detecting prey. For humans it is not dangerous.
He is like other species of the order viviparous, with the mother brings 18 to 22 young sharks to the world. Sexual maturity attain the sharks with a length of 85-110 centimeters.
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.