Small-spotted catshark
Scyliorhinus canicula
- Scientific name
- Scyliorhinus canicula
- Group
- Sharks & Rays
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean, Temperate Atlantic / English Channel
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Least concern
Did you know?
The small-spotted catshark lays eggs protected inside a tough capsule with long tendrils, nicknamed a "mermaid's purse," which it anchors to seaweed or sea fans. It hunts mostly at night, tracking down crustaceans and small fish with its highly developed sense of smell.
What defines this group — Sharks & Rays
The cartilaginous fish: not a single bone in the body, a skeleton made entirely of cartilage.
- A cartilage skeleton, lighter and more flexible than bone.
- No gill cover: five to seven gill slits open on the sides or underneath.
- Pores on the snout — the ampullae of Lorenzini — pick up the electric field of prey.
Other species in this group
- Common stingray
- Blacktip reef shark
- Common torpedo ray
- Bluespotted ribbontail ray
- Thornback ray
- Spiny dogfish