Largespine velvet dogfish explained

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. Its length is up to 68 cm.^{[1] [2]} It was originally in the genus Centroscymnus because of the shape of its dermal denticles and dorsal fin spines but some argued to put this in the Scymnodon genus because of its shape of dermal denticles.^[3] While some wanted to allocate these in Centroscymnus because of the shape of its lower teeth but later it was allocated to a distinct genus called the Proscymnodon. ^[4]

Conservation status

The New Zealand Department of Conservation has classified the largespine velvet dogfish as "Not Threatened" with the qualifier "Uncertain whether Threatened Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.^[5]

Notes and References

1. White. William T.. Vaz. Diego F. B.. Ho. Hsuan-Ching. Ebert. David A.. de Carvalho. Marcelo R.. Corrigan. Shannon. Rochel. Elisabeth. de Carvalho. Murilo. Tanaka. Sho. 2015-01-01. Redescription of Scymnodon ichiharai Yano and Tanaka 1984 (Squaliformes: Somniosidae) from the western North Pacific, with comments on the definition of somniosid genera . Ichthyological Research. en. 62. 2. 213–229. 10.1007/s10228-014-0430-y. 2015IchtR..62..213W . 254163358 . 1616-3915.
2. Web site: Centroscymnus macracanthus Regan, 1906 Largespine velvet dogfish. Carpenter. Kent E.. Bailly. Nicolas. 2019. Fishbase. 18 January 2019.
3. B Vaz, D. F. (2021). Scymnodon plunketi (Waite, 1910): a junior synonym of Scymnodon macracanthus (Regan, 1906) (Somniosidae: Elasmobranchii). Journal of Fish Biology, 99(2), 472–494. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14738
4. B Vaz, D. F. (2021). Scymnodon plunketi (Waite, 1910): a junior synonym of Scymnodon macracanthus (Regan, 1906) (Somniosidae: Elasmobranchii). Journal of Fish Biology, 99(2), 472–494. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.14738
5. Book: Conservation status of New Zealand chondrichthyans (chimaeras, sharks and rays), 2016. Duffy. Clinton A. J.. Francis. Malcolm. Dunn. M. R.. Finucci. Brit. Ford. Richard. Hitchmough. Rod. Rolfe. Jeremy. Department of Conservation. 2018. 9781988514628. Wellington, New Zealand. 9. 1042901090.