Plunket's Dogfish, <i>Centroscymnus plunketi </i> Click to enlarge image
A 1.3m long Plunket's Dogfish caught at a depth of about 900m, during the NORFANZ expedition on the Western Norfolk Ridge, Tasman Sea. Photo: This fish is registered in the Australian Museum Fish Collection (AMS I.42748-001). Image: Kerryn Parkinson
© NORFANZ Founding Parties

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Centroscymnus
    Species
    plunketi
    Family
    Squalidae
    Order
    Squaliformes
    Class
    Chondrichthyes
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    Adults grow to about 1.7 m in length. Young are born at around 32 cm to 36 cm in length. Males mature at about 1.1 m in length and females at about 1.3 m.

Introduction

Plunket's Dogfish is a grey to brown deepwater shark that occurs throughout the south-western Pacific.

Identification

Plunket's Dogfish is grey to brown. It has two dorsal fins, both of which are preceded by a spine. The second dorsal fin is slightly larger than the first. The pectoral fins are very broad. The teeth at the symphysis of the upper jaw are noticeably smaller than those in the fourth to eighth rows on either side.

The species was described in 1910 by Australian Museum ichthyologist Edgar Ravenswood Waite.



Habitat

It is known from temperate waters at continental shelf and slope depths.

Distribution

The species occurs in the south-western Pacific.

In Australia it is known from off New South Wales and Tasmania.


Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

Feeding and diet

The diet consists mainly of fishes and cephalopods.

References

  • Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  • Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994. Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
  • Stevens, J.D. in Gomon, M.F., Glover, C.J.M. & R.H. Kuiter (Eds). 1994. The Fishes of Australia's South Coast. State Print, Adelaide. Pp. 992.