Bramble Shark Size report
Bramble Shark (scientific name: Echinorhinus brucus), also known as Spiny Shark, is the earliest known shark vertebrate with shark-like and bony fish features. The sticklebacks first appeared in the late Silurian period and lasted until the early Permian period. This marine species was once widespread in oceans all over the world.
Compared with the elongated body, Bramble Shark has a small head, large eyes, and a short snout. These fish rely heavily on sight rather than smell. Bramble Shark was first described by Bonaterre in 1788 and named Squalus brucus, later renamed to the effective scientific name Echinorhinus brucus. The genus name Echinorhinus is derived from the Greek words "echinos," meaning sea urchin, hedgehog, and "rhinos," meaning "nose."
Bramble Sharks are rare, large, sluggish, deepwater sharks found mainly on continental and insular shelves and upper slopes. This kind of shark has been sporadically recorded, usually alone. It reaches a large size, and although very little is known of its life, it is likely to be a slow-growing, late-maturing species. This post will share more interesting facts about Bramble Sharks.
Bramble Shark Size And Appearance
Bramble Shark has a cylindrical, stocky body. The snout is short and hollow, and the opening gill is large, especially the fifth gill. Larger denticles cover the ventral side of the snout; the mouth is broadly arched with short labial folds. There are close-set small denticles below their snout and around their mouths; the tooth count ranges from 20 to 26. The body color is dark gray, olive, purple, black, or brown, with metallic spots on the back and sides. The belly is usually light brown or off-white. The body is covered with small, pointed tooth-like glowing scales but no special light organ.
Average Size of Bramble Shark
Bramble Sharks have an average length between 1.5-3 meters and a body width of 31-64 cm. The typical weight of the Bramble Shark is in the range of 136-200 kg. Their size at birth ranges from 29 to 90 cm. Mature individuals can be up to 1.5 meters for males and more than 2 meters for females. Bramble Sharks have lifespans between 15-25 years.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Average Length | 1.5-3 m |
| Average Weight | 135-200 kg |
| Lifespan | 15-25 years |
| Habitat | deep sea at 100-900 m |
Living Habits
Bramble Sharks are deep-water marine that lives on the bottom of the sea, often inhabiting deeper and uphill continental shelves. They are widely distributed in the Atlantic, Indian and western Pacific Oceans. Recorded at depths ranging from 100-900 meters, but more common at depths above 200 meters. The response of this sea creature is quite slow, and the staple food is bony fish, small sharks, and crabs. The potential predators for Bramble Sharks include large fish and sharks that live in the same habitat and depth.
Reproduction
Males are sexually mature when they are 1.5-1.75 meters long, and females are sexually mature when they are 2-2.3 meters long. Ovoviviparous, the embryo relies on the yolk sac for nourishment. Females have 15-24 young sharks per litter, and the total length of each young shark is 40-50 cm. However, because they often live in the deep sea and are difficult to observe, little is known about this species's reproductive cycle and gestation period.
Final Words
Thorny sharks are sometimes caught as game fish by anglers. In southern Africa, it is used in traditional medicine and processed into fishmeal. Although the exact population of Bramble Sharks is currently unknown, their decline is certainly due to overfishing. Deep-sea sharks are generally slow growing, long-lived, and have low reproductive and fertility rates.
