Somniosidae

Largespine velvet dogfish

Scymnodon macracanthus

Somniosid Fish from the Indian Ocean

• Transcontinental
• Marine fish
• Indian Ocean
• Pacific Ocean
• Elongated
• Large

The largespine velvet dogfish (Scymnodon macracanthus) is a shark of the family Somniosidae, found on the lower continental slopes between latitudes 50°S and 54°S in the southeast Pacific Ocean from the Straits of Magellan, and the southwest Pacific from New Zealand, at depths of between 650 and 920 m (2,130 and 3,020 ft). Its length is up to 68 cm (27 in). It was originally in the genus Centroscymnus because of the shape of its dermal denticles and dorsal fin spines but some argued to put it in the genus Scymnodon because of its shape of dermal denticles.