Note the fisherman carefully avoiding the venomous spine near the rear dorsal fin

The name dogfish, derived from a compound of "dog" and "fish", is applied to a number of small sharks found in the northeast Atlantic, Pacific, and Mediterranean, especially to those in the three families Scyliorhinidae, Dalatiidae and Squalidae. Although often used in reference to Scyliorhinus canicula, the name is applied only loosely and does not usually signify a close taxonomic relationship. Image File history File links NSRW_Dogfish. ... Image File history File links NSRW_Dogfish. ... Dorsal fin of an orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the (extinct) ichthyosaurs. ... In linguistics, a compound is a lexeme (a word) that consists of more than one other lexeme. ... Trinomial name Canis lupus familiaris The dog (Canis lupus familiaris) is a domestic subspecies of the wolf, a mammal of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. ... For other uses, see Fish (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Shark (disambiguation). ... The Atlantic Ocean, not including Arctic and Antarctic regions. ... Pacific redirects here. ... Mediterranean redirects here. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification In biological classification, family (Latin: familia, plural familiae) is a rank, or a taxon in that rank. ... Genera Apristurus Asymbolus Atelomycterus Aulohalaelurus Cephaloscyllium Cephalurus Galeus Halaelurus Haplolepharus Holohalaelurus Parmaturus Pentanchus Poroderma Schroederichthys Scyliorhinus The cat sharks or catsharks are a large family (Scyliorhinidae) of sharks, with over 110 species recorded. ... The sleeper sharks are a family (Dalatiidae) of sharks. ... Genera See text. ... Binomial name Scyliorhinus canicula (Linnaeus, 1758) The small-spotted catshark, Scyliorhinus canicula, is a cat shark of the family Scyliorhinidae found on the continental shelves and uppermost slopes off Norway and the British Isles south to Senegal, including the Mediterranean and possibly Côte dIvoire between latitudes 63° N...

(Squalus acanthias) -- This small, slender shark has a flattened head and a snout that tapers to a blunt tip. It averages 2 1/2 to 3 feet in length with the largest growing to 4 feet or more. Records show that they can live from 25 to 30 years.

Its mouth is full of low, flat, grinding teeth like the smooth dogfish, but the spiny dogfish also possesses an extra set of small, very sharp teeth.

The spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias, is the most common shark in the western Atlantic. It hunts both alone and in groups with other dogfish. It eats small fish, squid, and crustaceans, and has extremely strong jaws for crushing shells. Binomial name Squalus acanthias Linnaeus, 1758 The spiny dogfish or piked dogfish, Squalus acanthias, is one of the best known of the dogfish, members of the family Squalidae in the order Squaliformes. ... For other uses, see Squid (disambiguation). ... For the Dutch band, see Crustacean (band). ...

Dogfish are considered a nuisance by fishermen because they will latch on to almost anything put in the water, including human hands. Fishermen kill them when caught which, along with pollution, has contributed to a sharp decline in population in Puget Sound. It is now illegal to kill or mutilate them when caught even though at a time, they were considered a delicacy by Europeans. Puget Sound For the university in this region, see University of Puget Sound. ...

Care must be taken when handling dogfish due to the two venomous spines at the back of both dorsal fins. The venom is not likely to cause major damage, but the wound can take months to heal. Dorsal fin of an orca A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of fishes, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the (extinct) ichthyosaurs. ...

References

• Dogfish UK
• Spiny Dogfish and other Sharks