Roughskin dogfish (Centroscymnus owstonii)

Scientific name: Centroscymnus owstonii Garman, 1906

The Roughskin dogfish (Centroscymnus owstonii) is a marine fish of the family Somniosidae.

Biology

Found on upper continental slopes, on or near the bottom. Feeds on fish and cephalopods. Ovoviviparous, with 16- 28 young born at 27-30 cm. Flesh is high in mercury. Utilized as fishmeal and source of squalene (liver oil). Maximum depth from.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Centroscymnus owstonii
Family: Somniosidae (Sleeper sharks)
Order: Squaliformes (Bramble, Sleeper and Dogfish sharks)
Class: Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length: 121
Depth range: 100–1500 m (328–4921 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 100 - 1500 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Western Central Atlantic: northern Gulf of Mexico. Western Pacific: southeastern Honshu, Japan; Australia (including Western Australia) and New Zealand. Southeast Pacific: Amber Seamount, Nazca and Sala-y-Gomez.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Poisonous to eat
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Fec=16-28)

Sources

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

Last updated 27 September 2026