Caribbean roughshark
| Caribbean roughshark | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Squaliformes |
| Family: | Oxynotidae |
| Genus: | Oxynotus |
| Species: | O. caribbaeus |
| Binomial name | |
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Oxynotus caribbaeus Cervigón, 1961 |
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| Range of the Caribbean roughshark (in blue) | |
The Caribbean roughshark (Oxynotus caribbaeus) is a rough shark of the family Oxynotidae, found on the upper continental slopes of the Caribbean Sea, at depths between 400 and 450 m (1,310 and 1,480 ft). It reaches a length around 50 cm (20 in).
O. caribbaeus is thought to be a slow-moving predator of small benthic organisms. Not much is known about the lifecycle of this species, but it is being observed in its natural environment lately. This species is an uncommon bycatch of bottom trawls, though insufficient information is available for the IUCN to assess its conservation status.
Venezuelan biologist Dr. Fernando Cervigón described this species as Oxynotus caribbaeus.
O. caribbaeus is a small shark found in the upper continental slope of Venezuela; it is easily distinguishable from other Oxynotus species. Adult males reach a maximum size of 50 cm (1.6 ft) in length and the females are thought to grow even longer, although none has been examined. The Caribbean roughshark has a short, blunt snout and head. This chubby-looking shark looks nothing like the typical shark. It has two dorsal fins that help differentiate this shark from other Oxynotus species. Its first dorsal fin is inclined forward, is very long and thick, and triangular in shape. The second dorsal fin is similar to the first, although it is not as long. However, as some other Oxynotus species, the Caribbean roughshark does not have an anal fin. It has the typical shark coarse dermal denticles, but these are atypically large for the size of the shark. It contains small, circular spiracles at the dorsal base of its head. The supraorbital ridges are not expanded and do not form a knob in front of the spiracles. It has lanceolate upper teeth, containing 12 rows and lower bladelike teeth containing 12 rows.
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