Pacific Spiny Dogfish Shark

Pacific spiny dogfish shark

Squalus acanthias

Maximum length: 1.3 m ( ~4.2 ft)
Diet: Fishes, squids, & crustaceans
Lifespan: ~80 years
Key features: Brown topside, white spots on sides, large eyes, spines on front of both dorsal fins, no anal fin
Fun fact: Like rings in a tree, the layers of material within the spines of a pacific spiny dogfish can be used to determine their age.

A spiny dogfish shark swims near the ocean floor. It has rows of bright white spots on its sliver gray back.

Tobey Curtis, a NOAA Fisheries shark researcher, talks about shark conservation and describes his work with spiny dogfish conservation in the Atlantic Ocean. (Source: NOAA Fisheries)