Sailfin roughsharks (Oxynotus paradoxus) are one of the deepwater species named by French biologist F. Frade of the northeast Atlantic Ocean from the family Oxynotidae. They are a species of dogfish shark that lives at depths of 869-2362 ft (265-720 m). They were very recently discovered on the mid-Atlantic ridge, on the shores of Morocco and Scotland, and have a moderate population in the British Isles. The scientific name of this species was first coined by French biologist F. Frade and it was later officially universally accepted. This shark is found on the shores as a bycatch of bottom trawling on the shores, otherwise, they usually reside very deep in the ocean. The roughshark is brown in color when alive but its preserved body turns black. It has small circular spiracles (gill) as compared to other sharks and a wide flat head. It has triangular dorsal fins but no anal fin and its unique characteristic are, its first dorsal spine trails backward. Their triangular dorsal fins are triangular. The species of roughshark is very rarely seen and thus is unknown to humans. So there are very details about them in biology. You can also check out amberjack facts and pumpkinseed sunfish facts.
Fun Sailfin Roughshark Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Benthic fish and invertebrates
What do they eat? Small fish and invertebrates
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 10-46 in (25-118 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Dark brown
Skin Type Scale
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Data deficient
Where you’ll find them? Deepwater Of The Ocean
Locations Morocco, Scotland, Northeast Atlantic
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Oxynotus
Class Chondrichthyes
Family Oxynotidae
Sailfin Roughshark Interesting FactsWhat type of animal is a sailfin roughshark?A sailfin roughshark is a species of shark and was named Oxynotus paradoxus by French biologist F. Frade.What class of animal does a sailfin roughshark belong to?A sailfin roughshark belongs to the class Chondrichthyes.How many sailfin roughsharks are there in the world?As the sailfin roughshark (Oxynotus paradoxus) is rarely visible on the surface of the ocean or the shore it is considered that most of its population is deep in the Atlantic ocean at the depths of 869-2362 ft (265-720 m). Their exact population is still unknown.Where does a sailfin roughshark live?Sailfin roughsharks are considered to live in the deep waters of the northeast Atlantic Ocean. They are a rare and uncommon onshore shark but recently have been spotted on the shores of Morocco, Senegal, and Scotland by various fisheries, and have a moderate population in the British Isles. Their continental distribution range is in the mid-Atlantic ridge and Azores island and they cover the entire northeast Atlantic regions and the British Isles.What is a sailfin roughshark’s habitat?Sailfin roughsharks (Oxynotus paradoxus) are seldom found on the shores as their habitat distribution is the deep waters of the ocean. They can be found at a depth of 869-2362 ft (265-720 m).Who do sailfin roughsharks live with?There is not much information about the Oxynotus paradoxus species of roughshark but they are assumed to be living with their own kind as they were seen on shores in pairs.How long does sailfin roughshark live?A sailfin roughshark lives up to 100 years like the spiny dogfish which is of the same species as this shark. According to the little information they are not threatened by any predator but recently they are a bycatch to fisheries while bottom trawl fishing.How do they reproduce?Sailfin roughsharks (Oxynotus paradoxus) are ovoviviparous which means the sailfin roughshark egg is retained inside the mother’s body until it is ready to hatch and the embryo grows inside the egg. The reproduction process is just like other sharks. The pups have a length of 10 in (25 cm) at birth and then grow up to a length of 46 in (118 cm).What is their conservation status?According to IUCN the conservation status of the sailfin roughshark is Data Deficient because the details about this species of shark are very little. Although it is considered to have no threats while living in such a depth, while onshore they are bycatch of bottom trawl fishing.Sailfin Roughshark Fun FactsWhat do sailfin roughsharks look like?*We’ve been unable to source an image of a sailfin roughshark and have used an image of a Caribbean roughshark instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a sailfin roughshark, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected] Sailfin roughsharks have a dark brown compressed body and two triangular dorsal fins that are narrow and have concave dawdling edges and no anal fin. The first dorsal spine of the shark inclines backward. Its snout is blunt and it has a wide flat head. The spiracles (gill) of this shark are circular and are small as compared to other sharks. The length of the pups at birth is 10 in (25 cm) and can grow up to 46 in (118 cm). They have 12 rows of both upper and lower teeth. The lower teeth are sharp like a blade and the upper teeth have narrow oval-shaped tapering to a point at each end. A center cusp close to two sides and a second center cusp above the primary cusp are contained in the flank dermal denticles.How cute are they?The sailfin roughshark is not very cute. Roughsharks are deepwater sharks and furious predators.How do they communicate?Sailfin roughsharks can sense vibrations in water through their special organ named the lateral line while mating or finding their prey. The great white shark of the same species can smell one part of blood in a million in the ocean. The sharks communicate within their habitat by arching their bodies.How big is a sailfin roughshark?The sailfin roughshark is 10 in (25 cm) at birth and can grow up to 46 in (118 cm). This species of roughshark is bigger than the Caribbean reef shark.How fast can a sailfin roughshark swim?There are no estimates of the speed of the sailfin roughshark.How much does a sailfin roughshark weigh?The weight of the rare sailfin roughshark is unknown as there are very few details about this species.What are the male and female names of the species?There is no specific name for the male and female sailfin roughshark.What would you call a baby sailfin roughshark?A sailfin roughshark baby is called a pup.What do they eat?The sailfin roughshark’s diet includes small marine invertebrates like worms and fishes whose range of habitat is at the bottom of the west side of the Atlantic Ocean.Are they poisonous?Sailfin roughsharks are slow predators and have sharp blade-like lower teeth and oval-shaped upper teeth, but no, thankfully they are not poisonous!Would they make a good pet?As sailfin roughsharks are predatory species, it is dangerous to keep them as pets. Moreover, they are rare, will animals, merely seen on the shores and there is very little information about the characteristics of this shark so it is risky to keep them as pets.Did you know…There are two sensory sacks under the snout that enable the sailfin roughsharks to sense the scent from a considerable distance. They also have oil-filled livers that allow them to be buoyant. The sharks can smell the blood of their prey from a distance of 328 ft (100 m) or more.How did sailfin roughsharks get their name?The sailfin roughsharks are named after their stout and rough-textured compressed bodies.What role do sailfin roughsharks play in the ecosystem?There is no specific role of sailfin roughsharks in the marine ecosystem but they can be said to contribute to the cleaning of the depths in the ocean by feeding on their small marine preys dead and alive.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our tiger shark fun facts or sandbar shark facts for kids pages.You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable sailfin roughshark coloring pages.Main image by Citron.
What type of animal is a sailfin roughshark?
A sailfin roughshark is a species of shark and was named Oxynotus paradoxus by French biologist F. Frade.
Fun Sailfin Roughshark Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Benthic fish and invertebrates
What do they eat? Small fish and invertebrates
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 10-46 in (25-118 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Dark brown
Skin Type Scale
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Data deficient
Where you’ll find them? Deepwater Of The Ocean
Locations Morocco, Scotland, Northeast Atlantic
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Oxynotus
Class Chondrichthyes
Family Oxynotidae
Fun Sailfin Roughshark Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Benthic fish and invertebrates
What do they eat? Small fish and invertebrates
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 10-46 in (25-118 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Dark brown
Skin Type Scale
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Data deficient
Where you’ll find them? Deepwater Of The Ocean
Locations Morocco, Scotland, Northeast Atlantic
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Oxynotus
Class Chondrichthyes
Family Oxynotidae
Fun Sailfin Roughshark Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Benthic fish and invertebrates
What do they eat? Small fish and invertebrates
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 10-46 in (25-118 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Dark brown
Skin Type Scale
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Data deficient
Where you’ll find them? Deepwater Of The Ocean
Locations Morocco, Scotland, Northeast Atlantic
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Oxynotus
Class Chondrichthyes
Family Oxynotidae
Fun Sailfin Roughshark Facts For Kids
What do they prey on? Benthic fish and invertebrates
What do they eat? Small fish and invertebrates
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 10-46 in (25-118 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Dark brown
Skin Type Scale
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Data deficient
Where you’ll find them? Deepwater Of The Ocean
Locations Morocco, Scotland, Northeast Atlantic
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Oxynotus
Class Chondrichthyes
Family Oxynotidae
What do they prey on? Benthic fish and invertebrates
What do they eat? Small fish and invertebrates
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 10-46 in (25-118 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Dark brown
Skin Type Scale
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Data deficient
Where you’ll find them? Deepwater Of The Ocean
Locations Morocco, Scotland, Northeast Atlantic
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Oxynotus
Class Chondrichthyes
Family Oxynotidae
What do they prey on? Benthic fish and invertebrates
What do they eat? Small fish and invertebrates
Average litter size? N/A
How much do they weigh? N/A
How long are they? 10-46 in (25-118 cm)
How tall are they? N/A
What do they look like? Dark brown
Skin Type Scale
What were their main threats? Humans
What is their conservation status? Data deficient
What do they prey on?
Benthic fish and invertebrates
What do they eat?
Small fish and invertebrates
Average litter size?
N/A
How much do they weigh?
How long are they?
10-46 in (25-118 cm)
How tall are they?
N/A
What do they look like?
Dark brown
Skin Type
Scale
What were their main threats?
Humans
What is their conservation status?
Data deficient
Where you’ll find them? Deepwater Of The Ocean
Locations Morocco, Scotland, Northeast Atlantic
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Oxynotus
Class Chondrichthyes
Family Oxynotidae
Where you’ll find them?
Deepwater Of The Ocean
Locations
Morocco, Scotland, Northeast Atlantic
Kingdom Animalia
Genus Oxynotus
Kingdom
Animalia
Genus
Oxynotus
Class Chondrichthyes
Family Oxynotidae
