Author: (Linnaeus, 1758)
Field Marks:
A large, fairly stocky, catshark with large and small black spots and sometimes white spots covering dorsal surface, saddle markings obsolete, small anterior nasal flaps that do not reach mouth, no nasoral grooves, labial furrows on lower jaw only, second dorsal fin much smaller than first.
Diagnostic Features:
Head and body moderately broad. Greatest width of head about 2/3 of head length; no nasoral grooves; anterior nasal flaps not expanded and falling just short of mouth. First dorsal origin opposite pelvic insertions; second dorsal origin well anterior to anal insertion; interdorsal space subequal or less than anal base. Denticles fairly large and semierect, surface of skin relatively rough. Colour pattern of numerous small and large black spots sometimes interspersed with white spots, the large spots often irregular, subangular, and sometimes expanded into large blotches that may totally cover the body in some individuals; saddle markings indistinct or absent. Size large, adults to 1.6 m.
Geographical Distribution:
Eastern North Atlantic: Southern Scandinavia and British Isles to Mediterranean, Morocco, Senegal, ? Gambia to Guinea, ? Liberia, ? Gabon to Zaire (tropical West African records = S. cervigoni ?).
Habitat and Biology:
A common inshore and offshore shark of the eastern Atlantic continental shelf, but less abundant than S. canicula; found at depths of 1 or 2 m to at least 125 m, but commonest in depths of 20 to 63 m. It often occurs on rough or even rocky bottom or that with algal cover. In the Mediterranean, it is apparently fond of coralline algal bottom.
Oviparous, with a single egg laid at a time per oviduct. The large thickwalled egg-cases, 10 to 13 cm long and with strong tendrils at each corner, are deposited on algae in the subtidal or extreme lower intertidal in spring and summer and may take 9 months to hatch.
Eats mostly crustaceans, including hermit crabs, swimming crabs, cancrid crabs, and large shrimp, squid, octopi and other molluscs, a variety of bony fish including mackeral, epigonids, dragonets, gurnards, flatfish, herring, and small codfish and other bottom fishes, and other sharks (Scyliorhinus canicula).
Size:
Maximum to 162 cm; adults common to 125 cm, size at hatching about 16 cm.
Interest to Fisheries:
In European waters less important as a fisheries species than S. canicula, but regularly taken in bottom trawls and fixed bottom nets, and occasionally pelagic trawls. It is utilized fresh and dried salted for human consumption, and made into fishmeal.
Type material:
Holotype: None. Type Locality: European seas.