Species: Squalus cubensis, Cuban Dogfish, Cuban Dogfish Shark

Squalus cubensis Howell Rivero, 1936

Cuban Dogfish, Cuban Dogfish Shark

Body elongate and narrow, head and snout narrow, pointed; eyes without nictitating membrane; spiracle a large half-moon just behind eye; anterior nasal flap narrow; distance from tip of snout to inner corner of nostril less than distance from inner corner of nostril to groove in upper lip; teeth similar in both jaws, compressed, a single deeply notched cusp; 5 gill slits, all before pectorals; a slender, long spine at front of each dorsal fin; first dorsal fin origin over middle of inner margin of pectoral fin; second dorsal fin much smaller than first; pectoral fin with deeply concave rear edge, rear tip angular and pointed; upper tail base pit well developed, lower pit absent; tail fin without a notch under its tip, with large lower lobe; denticles on flank small, elongate & with single point in adults.

Dark grey above light grey to whitish below, no with marks on sides, apex of dorsal fins broadly black; conspicuous white rear edges to pectoral and tail fins.

Size: 110 cm.

Habitat: lives near the bottom of the outer continental shelf.

Depth: 60-904 m, juveniles shallower than adults.

North Carolina to Argentina.