Oxynotus

Oxynotus Temporal range: 23–0 Ma[1] PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N Lower Miocene to Present
Prickly dogfish (O. bruniensis)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Order:	Squaliformes
Family:	Oxynotidae Gill, 1912
Genus:	Oxynotus Rafinesque, 1810
Type species
Oxynotus centrina Rafinesque, 1810

Oxynotus is a genus of sharks in the order Squaliformes, commonly known as the rough sharks. It is the only extant genus in the family Oxynotidae. They live in deep waters in the Atlantic and western Pacific oceans.

Rough sharks are small to medium in size, ranging from 49 centimetres (1.61 ft) to 150 centimetres (4.9 ft) in adult body length, depending on species. Their bodies are compressed, giving them a triangular cross-section. They have two large dorsal fins, each with a sharp spine, and with the first fin placed far forward above the head. Even more so than their relatives, the dogfishes, they have rough and prickly skin. Unusually among sharks, they also possess a luminous organ.^[2]

Species

• Oxynotus bruniensis (Ogilby, 1893) (Prickly dogfish)
• Oxynotus caribbaeus Cervigón, 1961 (Caribbean roughshark)
• Oxynotus centrina (Linnaeus, 1758) (Angular roughshark)
• Oxynotus japonicus Yano & Murofushi, 1985 (Japanese roughshark)
• Oxynotus paradoxus Frade, 1929 (Sailfin roughshark)

See also

Sharks portal

• List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish

References

1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Chondrichthyes entry)". Bulletins of American Paleontology 364: p.560. http://strata.ummp.lsa.umich.edu/jack/showgenera.php?taxon=575&rank=class. Retrieved 2008-01-09. 
2. ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2009). "Oxynotidae" in FishBase. January 2009 version.