Name: Nurse hound, large spotted dogfish, catfish
Scientific Name: Scyliorhinus stellaris (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Scyliorhinidae
Group: Sharks, rays and chimaeras
Class: Fish
Size: 101-200 cm.
The nurse hound is similar in appearance to the smallspotted catshark, but grows to bigger dimensions. However, it is also a harmless shark that feeds at night. During the day it rests on bottoms with rocks and algae, at depths up to 125 m. The females spawn their eggs in shallow waters and the eggs, protected by a strong capsule, attach themselves to algae, gorgonians and other objects. After 9 months, hatching takes place and the juveniles emerge fully formed, measuring about 16 cm.
Photo by:
Marc Baldwin (www.wildlifeonline.me.uk)
Oceanário Location
North Atlantic
