Diagnosis

A moderately small deepwater shark of bizarre appearance with large, coarse dermal denticles which are particularly enlarged infront of the spiracle and above the eyes; two large, expansive dorsal fins with spines, of which the first is inclined forwards;  no anal fin. Snout very short and blunt; papillose lips with upper teeth lanceolate, lower teeth bladelike; large, conspicuous spiracles which are asymmetric and longer vertically. Colour grey-brown, grey or black-brown dorsally; some darker blotches on head and flanks occasionally apparent, especially on freshly-caught examples.

Size

To about 150cm TL but usually much less and under 100cm (typically 60 cm); size at birth unknown.

Status and Distribution

N.E. Atlantic: Generally infrequent. Mostly encountered in waters adjacent to the interface with the Mediterranean, including off southern Spain and Portugal; also southwards along the African coast to at least Senegal; northerly range limit uncertain, but increasingly scarce moving northwards along the western coast of Iberia into the Bay of Biscay; reported nominally as outlier from Cornwall, England.
Mediterranean Sea: Infrequent to moderately common; all of the Mediterranean in deeper waters, including lower Adriatic and Aegean, but not Black Sea.

Biology

A poorly-known deepwater shark of outer shelf and upper slope waters where it is benthic at depths of 60 to 660m, on or virtually on the bottom. Rarely caught nearshore although occasionally occurs coastally off Sicily on the Ionian (eastern) fringe in deepwater. Angular roughsharks feed upon polychaetes, perhaps utilising their very large livers to hover at neutral buoyancy above the seafloor with limited forward motion whilst seeking prey. Ovoviviparous, with litters of 7 or 8 young; size at maturity about 50cm.