Bramble shark

The Bramble shark, Echinorhinus brucus, is covered with large, thorn-like denticles, and hence the name “bramble” shark.

Physical characteristics

Bramble sharks have a long cylindrical body covered with large protruding denticles, no anal fin, two small dorsal fins placed far on the back just before the tail, and five pairs of gill slits. They can reach a maximum length of 10 ft (3.1 m).

Distribution

The bramble shark is found in the Western Atlantic from Georgia to Maine, Argentina, the Eastern Atlantic from South Africa north to Norway, most of the Mediterranean, Mozambique, the Arabian Sea near Oman, the Indian Ocean of south India and Sri Lanka, the Pacific Ocean near Honshū, Japan, south Australia, and New Zealand.

Habits and habitat

The bramble shark is a deepwater shark common only in the Eastern Atlantic from Portugal north, and the North Sea. It lives on the bottom of the sea between 59.06 and 2952.76 ft (18 to 900 m) deep, and eats small sharks, bony fish, and crabs. It is ovoviviparous with up to 24 pups per litter.