Scientific name
Scyliorhinus canicula (Linné, 1758)
Morphology
The small dogfish is a member of the shark family. This small fish is light brown to beige in color, with small black spots all over its body. Its pointed head holds two small black eyes and 5 characteristic gill slits. It has 2 triangular dorsal fins, 2 pectoral fins and 3 pelvic fins, including one at the base of the tail. The name salmonette is officially attributed to the small dogfish, gutted and cleaned for sale.
Fishing grounds for spotted dogfish
The small dogfish can be found near rocky plateaus on cliff edges, on sandy or gravelly bottoms in harbors and on nearby beaches, and can be caught from the shore, in harbors or on beaches.
Fishing techniques
The small spotted dogfish rests on sandbanks during the day and is most active at night. They are generally caught close to shore by surfcasting. A two-stack 35 cm rig is used to catch them with a squid blade. Use a long shank hook size n°1 to 1/0.
Reproduction
The lesser spotted dogfish reaches sexual maturity at 60 cm. They reproduce in late summer, laying around 100 eggs in the depths, which hatch 100 to 280 days later: 100 in the Atlantic and 280 in the Mediterranean. Baby dogfish, like their shark cousins, are born autonomously. They measure 10 cm at birth.
Size and weight
- Catch size (legal minimum): none, I recommend 60 cm
- Size at sexual maturity: 60 cm
- Average size: 50 to 70 cm
- Maximum size/weight: 80 cm (5 kg)
Good to know
The small spotted dogfish sometimes lives in large schools. It has a very varied diet: shellfish, small cuttlefish and both surface and bottom fish. Its feeding activity is most intense at night.
