Velvet dogfish

The velvet dogfish (Zameus squamulosus), the only member of the genus Zameus, is a small sleeper shark of the family Somniosidae, found around the world between latitudes 64°N and 48°S, from the surface to 2,000 m.

Velvet dogfish
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Division:	Selachii
Order:	Squaliformes
Family:	Somniosidae
Genus:	Zameus D. S. Jordan & Fowler, 1903
Species:	Z. squamulosus
Binomial name
Zameus squamulosus (Günther, 1877)
Range of the velvet dogfish
Synonyms
Centrophorus squamulosus Günther, 1877 Scymnodon obscurus Vaillant, 1888 Scymnodon niger Chu & Meng, 1982 Scymnodon squamulosus Günther, 1877

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Description

Its length is up to 84 cm.^[2] Although sharks within the family Somniosidae have generally been accepted to be non-luminous, Zameus squamulosus has photophores on its ventral epidermis.^[3]

Reproduction

Its reproduction is ovoviviparous.^[4]

Conservation

In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the velvet dogfish as "Data Deficient" with the qualifier "Uncertain whether Secure Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classification System.^[5]