Squalus cubensis
Cuban Dogfish
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GNR
Collection Details
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Squaliformes (Dogfish Sharks)
Squalidae (Dogfish Sharks)
Squalus
Squalus cubensis (Cuban Dogfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Relatively slender, with moderately long, broad snout and moderately long caudal fin. Snout length greater than mouth width but shorter than distance from mouth to origin of pectoral fin. Anterior nasal flap has narrow, posteriorly directed secondary lobe. Teeth bladelike, with oblique cusps and no cusplets, similarly shaped in both jaws. Upper and lower jaws have 26 tooth rows. Both dorsal fins preceded by spine. Origin of first dorsal fin anterior to rear corner of pectoral fin. Second dorsal fin shorter and has narrower base than first dorsal fin. Distance between dorsal fins greater than distance from tip of snout to first gill slit. Pectoral fin has acutely angled rear corner. Dorsal lobe of caudal fin shorter than head length. Posterior margins of fins not broadly fringed. Dermal denticles on sides of body small, low, and unicuspidate.
Dark gray dorsally and light gray ventrally. Dorsal fins black tipped, and other fins white edged.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina to Florida, and in the northern Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Mexico
Habitat Associations
On or near the bottom from 60 to 380 m
Biology
Maximum known size is about 110 cm TL
Litters consist of 10 young. Males and females mature at about 50 to 75 cm TL
Inhabits continental shelves and uppermost slopes. Found in 60 to 380 m deep (Ref. 26938). Found on or near the bottom in large, dense schools. Probably feeds on bottom fishes and invertebrates. Ovoviviparous, with about 10 young per litter. A huge parasite (isopod) lives in its buccal cavity. Seldom used for food, but taken in commercial catches for its liver which yields oil and vitamins. Maximum depth reported taken from Ref. 55584.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2019-06-21. Resilience: Very low (Fec=10).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by the combination of characters described
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial.
References
Bigelow and Schroeder 1948a
Bigelow and Schroeder 1957
Hoese and Moore 1977
Applegate et al. 1979
Sadowsky and Soares Moreira 1981
Castro 1983
Compagno 1984
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Bonfil et al. 1990
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Compagno, L.J.V. (1984) 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. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/1):1-249. Rome, FAO.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Cortés, E. (1999) Standardized diet compositions and trophic levels of sharks. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 56:707-717.
Comments On Squalus cubensis