Family Squalidae - dogfish sharks

A large group of sharks, ranging from less than a meter to over seven meters in length. The dogfish are cosmopolitan in distribution, from the tropics to the subartic and subantartic regions. Some species prefer shallow coastal zones while other species only inhabit deep offshore waters. An anatomical characteristic of these sharks is the absence of an anal fin.

Spiny dogfish- Squalus acanthias

Remarks: Occasionally can be found within the bay's channels. Caught infrequently by sportfishers and its meat is high quality. Commercially taken outside the bay for both food and educational purposes.

Identification: Easily identified when caught by its two dorsally placed spines, one in front of each dorsal fin and its lack of a anal fin. This is a smaller shark reaching a maximum length of only 1.5m. The body above is gray toned with white spots giving away to a whitish underside.

Range: A wide ranging fish from Alaska to southern California. These sharks outside the confinements of bays will form large schools and migrate to deeper waters when the temperature increases.