Prickly Shark
Echinorhinus cookei
- Group: Shark
- Typical depth: 11–1100 m
- Max size: 4 m
- For divers: safe
- IUCN status: DD
Studded with thorny denticles, this large slow moving shark prowls the outer continental shelf and upper slope. It feeds on fish, smaller sharks, octopus and squid, and carries its young inside until they are born live, with litters running over a hundred pups. Despite its size it poses no real threat to divers.
Taxonomy: Animalia › Chordata › Elasmobranchii › Echinorhiniformes › Echinorhinidae › Echinorhinus
Species data via the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), AphiaID 271656.
FAQ
- How deep does the Prickly Shark live?
- The Prickly Shark (Echinorhinus cookei) is typically found at 11–1100 m.
- Is the Prickly Shark dangerous to divers?
- The Prickly Shark is harmless to divers.
- How big does the Prickly Shark get?
- The Prickly Shark grows to about 4 m.