page_title: Bramble shark
section_title: Biology and ecology
hierarchical_section_title: Bramble shark / Biology and ecology
caption_attribution_description: English: Embryo of the bramble shark (Echinorhinus brucus), from Cochin, India
context_page_description: The bramble shark is one of the two species of sharks in the family Echinorhinidae. Aside from the eastern Pacific Ocean, it is found in tropical and temperate waters worldwide. This rarely encountered shark swims close to the bottom of the seafloor, typically at depths of 400–900 m, though it may enter much shallower water. The bramble shark has a stout body with two small dorsal fins positioned far back and no anal fin. It can be readily identified by the large, thorn-like dermal denticles scattered over its body, some of which may be fused together. It is purplish brown or black in color and grows up to 3.1 m long.
  The diet of the bramble shark includes smaller sharks, bony fishes, and crabs, which this slow-moving species may capture via suction. It is aplacental viviparous, with females producing litters of 15–52 pups. Harmless to humans, it is an occasional bycatch of commercial and recreational fishers, and may be used for fishmeal and liver oil. The International Union for Conservation of Nature presently lacks enough information to assess the conservation status of this species.
context_section_description: Sluggish in nature, the bramble shark feeds on smaller sharks (including the spiny dogfish, Squalus acanthias), bony fishes (including ling, catfishes, and lizardfishes), and crabs. The large size of its pharynx, relative to its mouth, suggests that it may capture prey by suction. This species is aplacental viviparous; females have two functional ovaries and two uteruses. Recorded litter sizes have ranged from 15 to 52, and newly born pups have been estimated to measure 40–50 cm (16–20 in) long. The dermal denticles in near-term embryos are underdeveloped, appearing as minute spines located within open pits in the skin. The size at sexual maturity is uncertain; the smallest known mature males and females are 1.5 m (4.9 ft) and 2.1 m (6.9 ft) long respectively.
caption: Bramble shark embryo with external yolk sac.
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "300", "Image YResolution": "300", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS Windows", "Image DateTime": "2010:08:16 21:13:08", "Image ExifOffset": "164", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "302", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "2160", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "450", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "126"}