Sailfin Roughshark

fieldmarks: Short, blunt snout, high, sail-like dorsal fins with spines, no anal fin, first dorsal spine inclined backward, high, thick, triangular body with large, rough denticles, lanceolate upper teeth, lower bladelike teeth in less than 12 rows, blackish coloration. Spiracle small and circular. Supraorbital ridges not greatly expanded and not forming a knob in front of spiracles. Apices of dorsal fins narrowly triangular, posterior margins strongly concave; first dorsal spine inclined backward. Blackish or dark brown, without prominent markings.

Eastern North Atlantic: Atlantic slope from Scotland to Senegal.

Maximum total length about 118 cm; size at birth about 25 cm.

An uncommon deepwater bottom shark found on the Atlantic continental slope,at depths from 265 to 720 m. Moderately abundant off British Isles. Ovoviviparous.

Caught in bottom trawls. Used for fishmeal.Uncommon as a bycatch of offshore trawling fleets.