# Spiny dogfish (*Squalus acanthias*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/squalus-acanthias  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup, belonging to the family Squalidae in the order Squaliformes. It is classified in the class Elasmobranchii and the genus Squalus, and was named by Linnaeus, 1758. The IUCN Red List global assessment lists the spiny dogfish as Vulnerable (VU), an IUCN threatened category. Other English names for it include spurdog, dogfish, grayfish, picky dog and Cape shark.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | up to 5.97 kg |
| Length | up to 1.36 m |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Age at maturity | 5 years |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Elasmobranchii
- order: Squaliformes
- family: Squalidae
- genus: Squalus
- species: *Squalus acanthias* Linnaeus, 1758

Synonyms: *Acanthias americanus*, *Acanthias antiguorum*, *Acanthias commun*, *Acanthias lebruni*, *Acanthias linnei*, *Acanthias vulgaris*, *Acanthias vulgaris*, *Acanthorhinus acanthias*, *Flakeus tasmaniensis*, *Koinga kirki*, *Koinga kirki*, *Koinga whitleyi*, *Spinax acantheus*, *Spinax acanthias*, *Spinax mediterraneus*, *Spinax vulgaris*, *Squalus acanthias acanthias*, *Squalus acanthias africana*, *Squalus acanthias chilensis*, *Squalus acanthias ponticus*, *Squalus acanthis*, *Squalus achantias*, *Squalus antiquorum*, *Squalus barbouri*, *Squalus blainvillei*, *Squalus canis*, *Squalus fernandinus*, *Squalus kirki*, *Squalus lebruni*, *Squalus suckleyi acanthias*, *Squalus tasmaniensis*, *Squalus vulgaris*, *Squalus wakiyae*, *Squalus whitleyi*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the spiny dogfish?

The spiny dogfish is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup. It belongs to the family Squalidae in the order Squaliformes.

### Is the spiny dogfish endangered?

The spiny dogfish is listed as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List global assessment, which is an IUCN threatened category.

### What is the scientific name of the spiny dogfish?

The scientific name of the spiny dogfish is Squalus acanthias, in the genus Squalus.

### Who named the spiny dogfish and when?

The spiny dogfish was named by Linnaeus, 1758.

### What are other names for the spiny dogfish?

Other English names for the spiny dogfish are spurdog, dogfish, grayfish, picky dog and Cape shark.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525), CC BY 4.0, 1.0-2022-06-17. Mull, C.G., Pacoureau, N., Pardo, S.A. et al. (2022) Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits and abundance time-series. Scientific Data 9: 559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01655-1. Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/squalus-acanthias