Author: (Risso, 1826)
Somniosus rostratus (Risso, 1826)
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Somniosus rostratus (Risso, 1827) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: morphologically similar to S. microcephalus, but much smaller. Differs also in shape and size of second dorsal fin, its height less than half length of fin base, distance from free tip of second dorsal fin to caudal fin origin less than length of second dorsal fin base. Spiracle located behind eye, more than 1.5 times eye diameter. Luminescent pores along lateral line. Colour: brown to grey. Size: to 100 cm.
Habitat: benthic on slopes. Food: ?fishes. Reproduction: ovoviviparous.
Distribution: Madeira; also, in Mediterranean in Ligurian Sea, off Sicily, Nice and Algeria. Records off Portugal may be a different species.
Eggs, embryonic and young stages. Helbing, 1904: 358-364, 510-511, fig. IA-ID | Tortonese, 1952: 390, fig. 3.