FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Echinorhinidae 1211
ECHINORHINIDAE
Bramble sharks
by L.J.V. Compagno and V.H. Niem
Diagnostic characters: Large sharks with cylindrical bodies without abdominal ridges. Head moderately
depressed; last (fifth) gill slits abruptly expanded in width; spiracles present, very small, well
behind eyes; nostrils far apart from each other; snout short; mouth broadly arched, with very short labial
furrows that do not encircle mouth; teeth alike in both jaws, strongly compressed and blade-like, with
a cusp and up to 3 side cusplets in adults, but with a cusp only in young. Two small spineless posterior
dorsal fins, both smaller than the pelvic fins, situated close together, the origin of the first dorsal fin behind
the pelvic-fin origin; anal fin absent; caudal fin without a subterminal notch. Dermal denticles moderately
large to very large, thorn-like. Intestine valve of spiral type. Colour: greyish brown dorsally, pale to white
below.
2 posterior dorsal fins
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: These are large, poorly known wide-ranging, deep-water sharks, with a
spotty but virtually circumglobal distribution on continental and insular shelves and slopes, on or near the
bottom. They are ovoviviparous and feed on a variety of benthic and neritic fishes, as well as crabs,
octopuses, and squids. The 2 known species are uncommon to rare in most areas where they occur and
hence are of minimal interest to fisheries. They generally form a bycatch of other fisheries, including those
for other sharks, and are taken on line gear, deepset gill nets, and more commonly in bottom trawls,
sometimes caught on rod and reel by sports anglers. Very sluggish harmless sharks, never recorded as
attacking people.
Remarks: This family is sometimes placed as a synonym of Squalidae, but morphological studies indicate
that it is very distinct from the Squalidae. It has a single living genus, Echinorhinus.
Similar families occurring in the area
Squalidae and Pristiophoridae: fifth gill slits not abruptly larger than first to fourth; spiracles larger; first
dorsal-fin origin well anterior to pelvic-fin origins; pelvic fins usually about as large as second dorsal fin or
smaller; Pristiophoridae also with rostral saw and barbels.
Squatinidae: trunk much flattened dorsoventrally; mouth terminal; eyes on upper surface of head; teeth not
blade-like, with a single cusp and no cusplets; origin of first dorsal fin posterior to pelvic-fin bases; anterior
margins of pectoral fins expanded as triangular lobes past the gill slits and partly concealing them; both
the pectoral and pelvic fins very large and wing-like; caudal fin nearly symmetrical, but with lower lobe
longer than upper lobe.
All other shark families: anal fin present.
pelvic fins usually smaller
than 1 st dorsal fin
Squalidae
body with large
dermal denticles
terminal
mouth
anterior
lobe
no anal fin
pectoral fin
enlarged
Squatinidae
pelvic fin
1 st dorsal fin
behind pelvic fin
long lower
lobe