Bramble shark (Echinorhinus brucus)

Scientific name: Echinorhinus brucus Bonnaterre, 1788

The Bramble shark (Echinorhinus brucus) is a marine fish of the family Echinorhinidae.

Biology

A rare, large, sluggish, deepwater shark found on continental and insular shelves and upper slopes. Sometimes found in shallow water. Feeds on smaller sharks, bony fishes, and crabs. Ovoviviparous, with 15-26 young in a litter (26346). Never recorded as attacking people. Sometimes hooked by shore anglers. Processed into fishmeal. May be used in traditional medicine in southern Africa.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Echinorhinus brucus
Family: Echinorhinidae (Bramble sharks)
Order: Squaliformes (Bramble, Sleeper and Dogfish sharks)
Class: Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length: 310
Common length: 200
Depth range: 10–900 m (33–2953 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 10 - 900 m, usually 350 - 900 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Western Atlantic: Virginia, Massachusetts, USA; Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: North Sea to Mediterranean, Morocco to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. Western Indian Ocean: India, Mozambique, South Africa. Western Pacific: Japan, southern Australia, New Zealand. Records from Oman and Kiribati uncertain. Apparently absent in the Eastern Pacific.
Conservation status (IUCN): Data deficient (DD)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec= 15-24)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026