Oxynotus

Oxynotus
Temporal range: 23–0 Ma[1] Lower Miocene to present
Caribbean roughshark, Oxynotus caribbaeus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Order: Squaliformes
Family: Oxynotidae
T. N. Gill, 1912
Genus: Oxynotus
Rafinesque, 1810
Type species
Oxynotus centrina
Prickly dogfish, Oxynotus bruniensis
Angular roughshark, Oxynotus centrina

Oxynotus is a genus of sharks in the order Squaliformes, commonly known as the rough sharks. It is the only extant genus in the family Oxynotidae. They live in deep waters in the Atlantic and western Pacific Oceans.

Rough sharks are small to medium in size, ranging from 49 to 150 cm (1.61 to 4.92 ft) in adult body length, depending on species. Their bodies are compressed, giving them a triangular cross-section. They have two large dorsal fins, each with a sharp spine, and with the first fin placed far forward above the head. Even more so than their relatives, the dogfishes, they have rough and prickly skin. Unusually among sharks, they also possess a luminous organ.[2]

Species

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Sepkoski, Jack (2002). "A compendium of fossil marine animal genera (Chondrichthyes entry)". Bulletins of American Paleontology. 364: 560. Archived from the original on 2012-05-10. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
  2. ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Family Oxynotidae". FishBase. January 2009 version.
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