Bramble shark

Bramble shark (Echinorhinus brucus) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 10–900 m.

Scientific name: Echinorhinus brucus · Water: Saltwater

Size: up to 310 cm

About

The bramble shark is an echinorhinid and a rare, large, sluggish deepwater shark found on continental and insular shelves and upper slopes, sometimes in shallow water, and it is recorded from 10 to 900 m. It feeds on smaller sharks, bony fishes and crabs, and it is ovoviviparous with 15 to 26 young in a litter. It has never been recorded as attacking people, and it is sometimes hooked by shore anglers. Its range is the Atlantic, the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific, and it is apparently absent from the eastern Pacific. Maximum length is about 310 cm total length, commonly about 200 cm. It is a minor commercial species and a gamefish, processed into fishmeal and possibly used in traditional medicine in southern Africa. Fishing vulnerability is very high at 85 of 100 and resilience very low, and climate vulnerability is moderate at 38 of 100. IUCN lists it as endangered.

Ecology and habitat

Depth
10–900 m
Distribution status
Native
Trophic level
4.4

Fishery and market

Game fish
Yes
Resilience
Very low

Methods

Sources

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