Austrian ichthyologist Viktor Pietschmann described the prickly shark as a new species in two separate … See more

The prickly shark has a flabby and cylindrical body, with the adults markedly bulkier than juveniles, and a short, moderately flattened head. The nostrils are placed far apart and preceded by small flaps of ski… See more

The prickly shark is widely distributed around the Pacific Ocean. In the western and central Pacific, it has been reported off Japan, Taiwan, Victoria and Queensland in Australia, and New Zealand, as well as around the … See more

The prickly shark is a slow swimmer and has been observed hovering just above the sea floor. A tracking study in Monterey Canyon found that this species exhibits strong diel migration patterns. The sharks were inacti… See more

Interactions with divers show that the prickly shark behaves inoffensively towards humans, either tolerating contact or fleeing when closely approached. It is susceptible to incidental capture by commercial bottom trawls… See more

In June 2018 the New Zealand Department of Conservation classified the prickly shark as "At Risk – Naturally Uncommon" with the qualifiers "Data Poor" and "Secure Overseas" under the New Zealand Threat Classificati… See more