Habitat
Cool coastal and shelf waters, sometimes thousands of metres deep.
All species
Spiny Dogfish
Squalus acanthias
Not aggressive
A small, schooling shark with mildly venomous spines in front of each dorsal fin.
Maximum size
0.8–1.1 m
Aggressiveness
Not aggressive (due to their small size)
Ecology
One of the longest-lived sharks — individuals can exceed 70 years.
Feeding
Small fish, krill, jellyfish and squid.
Behaviour
Forms huge same-sex, same-size schools.
Safety notes
Harmless when left alone, but the dorsal spines can deliver a painful sting if handled.
Conservation status
IUCN: Vulnerable.
Sources & Citations
Data compiled from peer-reviewed and authoritative open sources. Last reviewed 2026.
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Conservation status for each species.
- The Shark Trust — Species Database
Biology, ecology and identification.
- FishBase
Maximum sizes, distribution and life-history data.
- Florida Museum — International Shark Attack File
Documented species behaviour around humans.
- Nature Gibraltar / Gibraltar Ornithological & Natural History Society
Local marine fauna records around the Strait.