''Oxynotus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimo ...

s in the order

Squaliformes The Squaliformes are an order (biology), order of sharks that includes about 126 species in seven families. Members of the order have two dorsal fins, which usually possess spines, they usually have a sharp head, no anal fin or nictitating me ...

, commonly known as the rough sharks. It is the only extant genus in the family Oxynotidae. They live in deep waters in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

and western

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

s. Rough sharks are small to medium in size, ranging from in adult body length, depending on species. Their bodies are compressed, giving them a triangular cross-section. They have two large

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

s, each with a sharp spine, and with the first fin placed far forward above the head. Even more so than their relatives, the dogfishes, they have rough and prickly skin. Unusually among sharks, they also possess a

luminous Luminous may refer to: * Luminous flame, a flame emitting visible light Music * Luminous (group), a South Korean boy band * ''Luminous'' (EP), an EP by Cesium 137 * ''Luminous'' (John Hicks and Elise Wood album), 1985–88 * Luminous (The Hor ...

organ.

Species

* '' Oxynotus bruniensis'' Ogilby, 1893 (prickly dogfish) * '' Oxynotus caribbaeus'' Cervigón, 1961 (Caribbean roughshark) * '' Oxynotus crochardi'' * ''

Oxynotus centrina The angular roughshark (''Oxynotus centrina'') is a rough shark of the family Oxynotidae. Taxonomy Biologist Carl Linnaeus described the angular roughshark, ''O. centrina'', in 1758. This name was later finalized and accepted by the scienti ...

'' Linnaeus,

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

(angular roughshark) * '' Oxynotus japonicus'' Ka. Yano & Murofushi, 1985 (Japanese roughshark) * ''

Oxynotus paradoxus The sailfin roughshark (''Oxynotus paradoxus'') is a species of dogfish shark in the family Oxynotidae, found in the eastern North Atlantic from Scotland to Senegal between latitudes 61°N and 11°N, at depths of between . Its length is up to . ...

'' Frade, 1929 (sailfin roughshark)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q731529 Aquitanian genus first appearances Extant Miocene first appearances Marine fish genera Shark genera Taxa named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque

Species

See also

References