Echinorhinus

Echinorhinus Temporal range: 84–0Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Campanian to Present
Bramble shark, Echinorhinus brucus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Superorder:	Selachimorpha
Order:	Squaliformes
Family:	Echinorhinidae T. N. Gill, 1862
Genus:	Echinorhinus Blainville, 1816
The distribution of the two Echinorhinus species

Echinorhinus is the only extant genus in the family Echinorhinidae. The name is from Greek echinos meaning "spiny" and rhinos meaning "nose." Both species are uncommon, little-known sharks. They are found worldwide in cold temperate to tropical seas from the surface down to a depth of 900 m (3,000 ft).^[2]

This genus includes two extant species characterized by a short nose, rough spiny dermal denticles, no anal fin, and two small spineless dorsal fins. Both species are relatively large sharks, at 3.1 to 4.0 m (10.2 to 13.1 ft) in body length. They feed on smaller fish, and on crabs and cephalopods. They are ovoviviparous, with the mother retaining the egg-cases inside her body until they hatch.^[2] While some scientists have proposed that Echinorhinidae be given an order separate from Squaliformes, the general current consensus is that Echinorhinidae is still a family in the order Squaliformes ^[3]

Species

• Echinorhinus brucus Bonnaterre, 1788 (Bramble shark)
• Echinorhinus cookei Pietschmann, 1928 (Prickly shark)

See also

• List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish genera
• List of fish families

References

• "Echinorhinus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 4 May 2006. 
• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Echinorhinidae" in FishBase. January 2006 version.
• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). Species of Echinorhinus in FishBase. January 2006 version.
• FAO Species Catalogue Volume 4 Parts 1 and 2 Sharks of the World