Lesser Spotted Catshark

Lesser Spotted Catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) are also known as a lesser-spotted dogfish, these sharks get their name from the small spots that cover their body and are one of the most common sharks found in the waters around the UK.

These sharks are opportunistic feeders, and will eat a wide variety of foods including crustaceans, molluscs and fish. They have been known to curl up in a circle as a method of defence, possibly to make themselves look bigger. The catshark’s main predators include larger fish such as larger sharks.

These sharks lay eggs, which are around 5cm long with curly string-like ends. These eggs are designed to look a little like seaweed, with the curly ends tangling up in the seaweed to keep the developing eggs safe from predators. The embryos develop for 5 to 11 months depending on the temperature, feeding off the yolk within the egg, and the young hatch from their eggs when they are around 9 to 10 cm long. Once the eggs hatch, they can often be found washed up along the shoreline across their range, including in the UK. You can get involved in recording findings of egg cases with

The Shark Trust. This data helps record shark populations across the UK which helps in the conservation of the sharks. You can find out more at; https://www.sharktrust.org/great-eggcase-hunt.