Biology and Management of Dogfish Sharks

8. Spiny Dogfish in the Pelagic Waters of the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound

Richard J. Beamish and Ruston M. Sweeting

doi: https://doi.org/10.47886/9781934874073.ch9

Abstract.—Spiny dogfish Squalus acanthias have been an important commercial species on Canada’s Pacific coast for more than 130 years. In this study we show that the spiny dogfish life history results in juveniles remaining in pelagic waters for 10–15 years after birth, with lengths up to about 60 cm. Abundance estimates show that the numbers of these young dogfish, as well as some older dogfish in the pelagic waters, appear to represent a relatively large percentage of the population in these two regions. Dietary analysis shows that while euphausiids and teleosts constitute the major food items, regardless of size/age, dogfish feed on a number of species within the ecosystem. After about 15 years, there is a movement into demersal habitats where individuals eventually mature. Because dogfish are long lived, and because they are found throughout the pelagic zone and demersal habitats, it is probable that they play a key role in the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound ecosystems.