A few basic characteristics can be presented for this shark group.

  • squaliformes have five pairs of gill slits.
  • two dorsal fins; often with a spine along the leading edge.
  • the first dorsal originates in front of pelvic fin.
  • they lack an anal fin.
  • many species are bioluminescent to some degree.
  • exclusively marine most species are bottom oriented.
  • their habitat ranging from shallows to the abyss.

The squaliform sharks are creatures of extreme, they range from very small to the very largest; they inhabit a wide range of depths warm sunny shallows to chill blackness of the bottomless abyss. Beyond the basic no generalization can be made about this large and diverse group of sharks

Before we go into the uniqueness of this shark order, their significance to humans should be summed up. It is no exaggeration to say that these sharks have more fully been put to use than any other group of sharks. They have played a role in myth, in cultural rituals and medicine and a great biological understanding regarding vertebrate physiology. In addition there is no authenticated record of an attack on a human by any dogfish shark.

The Unique:

Cookie-cutter Shark

All squaliformes are predators and opportunistic scavengers; however, none has achieved the notoriety of the Cookie-cutter Shark. It is only 1.5 feet but is known to remove pieces from such large open-ocean creatures as the yellow-fin tune, mahi mahi, wahoo, marlins and sailfishes, swordfish, Blue and much more. It is the most bioluminescent of all sharks seducing its prey with the greenish glow. During the 1970's several American subs were forced to return to base due to Cookie-cutter damage to their neoprene-covered sonar domes. Since has been circumvented.

Angular Roughsharks

The most endearing squaloid diversity are the angular Roughsharks. These chubby smallish deepwater sharks feature oversized scales, a small mouth fringed with finger like lip papillae(a soft, fleshy projection, usually small and nipple-like) floppy sail-like dorsal fins with deeply embedded spines, a triangular cross-section, dermal ridges along the spine that resemble 'love handles' .To see these mysterious squaloids alive moving gives one appreciation of these animals.

The order Squaliformes (Dogfish Sharks) has three families and eighty species

Family Echinorhinidae - Bramble Sharks

Two Species
species in the Family Squaliformes
Echinorhinus brucusBramble shark
Echinorhinus cookei Prickly shark

Family Squalidae - Dogfish sharks

Seventy Species
species in the Family Squalidae
acoleola nigraHooktooth dogfish
Centrophorus acusNeedle dogfish
Centrophorus granulosusGulper shark
Centrophorus harrissoniDumb gulper shark
Centrophorus lusitanicusLowfin gulper shark
Centrophorus moluccensisSmallfin gulper shark
Centrophorus niaukangTaiwan gulper shark
Centrophorus squamosusLeafscale gulper shark
Centrophorus tesselatusMosaic gulper shark
Centrophorus uyatoLittle gulper shark
Centroscyllium fabriciiBlack dogfish
Centroscyllium granulatumGranular dogfish
Centroscyllium kamoharaiBareskin dogfish
Centroscyllium nigrumCombtooth dogfish
Centroscyllium ornatumOrnate dogfish
Centroscyllium ritteriWhitefin dogfish
Centroscymnus coelolepisPortuguese dogfish
Centroscymnus crepidaterLongnose velvet dogfish
Centroscymnus cryptacanthusShortnose velvet dogfish
Centroscymnus macracanthusLargespine velvet dogfish
Centroscymnus owstoniRoughskin dogfish
Centroscymnus plunketiPlunket shark
Cirrhigaleus barbiferMandarin dogfish
Dalatias lichaKitefin shark
Deania calceaBirdbeak dogfish
Deania hystricosumRough longnose dogfish
Deania profundorumArrowhead dogfish
Deania quadrispinosumLongsnout dogfish
Etmopterus baxteriNew Zealand lanternshark
Etmopterus brachyurusShorttail lanternshark
Etmopterus bullisiLined lanternshark
Etmopterus carteriCylindrical lanternshark
Etmopterus decacuspidatusCombtooth lanternshark
Etmopterus gracilispinisBroadband lanternshark
Etmopterus granulosusSouthern lanternshark
Etmopterus hillianusCarribean lanternshark
Etmopterus luciferBlackbelly lanternshark
Etmopterus perryiDwarf lanternshark
Etmopterus pollifrican lanternshark
Etmopterus princepsGreat lanternshark
Etmopterus pusillusSmooth lanternshark
Etmopterus schultziFringefin lanternshark
Etmopterus sentosusThorny lanternshark
Etmopterus spinaxVelvet belly
Etmopterus unicolorBrown lanternshark
Etmopterus villosusHawaiian lanternshark
Etmopterus virensGreen lanternshark
Euprotomicroides zantedeschiaTaillight shark
Europtomicrus bispinatusPygmy shark
Heteroscymnoides marleyiLongnose pygmy shark
Isistius brasiliensisCookiecutter or cigar shark
Isistius plutodusLargetooth cookiecutter shark
Mollisquama pariniSoftskin dogfish
Scymnodalatias sherwoodiSherwood dogfish
Scymnodon ichiharaiJapanese velvet dogfish
Scymnodon ringensKnifetooth dogfish
Scymnodon squamulosusGreenland sleeper shark
Somniosus pacificusPacific sleeper shark
Somniosus rostratusLittle sleeper shark
Squaliolus laticaudusSpined pygmy shark
Squalus acanthiasPiked dogfish
Squalus asperRoughskin spurdog
Squalus blainvilleiLongnose spurdog
Squalus cubensisCuban dogfish
Squalus japonicusJapanese spurdog
Squalus magalopsShortnose spurdog
Squalus melanurusBlacktail spurdog
Squalus mitsukuriiShortspine spurdog
Squalus rancureliCyrano spurdog

Family Oxynotidae - Roughsharks

Five Species
species in the Family Oxynotidae
Oxynotus bruniensisPrickly dogfish
Oxynotus carribaeusCarribean roughshark
Oxynotus centrinaAngular roughshark
Oxynotus japonicusJapanese roughshark
Oxynotus paradoxusSailfin roughshark