Fish of the Day - week 12 - the lesser spotted dogfish.

 

The smallest dogfish landed in Newlyn, the lesser spotted dgfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) is better known as the murgey or more correctly mor-ki (sea dog in Cornish). 

This small shark is abundant around the coast of the UK.  These days a highly valuable fish supplied to crabbers for bait. Anyone who practised some dissection at school may also recognise this fish. Underneath its tough skin the skeleton made of cartilage and its cheapness made it a popular specimen in biology lessons.

In addition to being used for bait these fish were once skinned in huge numbers and the skin itself used as sandpaper. When dried and ground the resultant powder is used in the theatre of war is still used by army medics as a means of stemming blood-flow in large open flesh and internal wounds.

Lesser spotted dogfish numbers appear to be stable and increasing in some areas possibly due to their toughness and the lack of demand and low price offered for them. Consumers should avoid eating sharks as generally they are vulnerable to over fishing due to the fact that they are slow growing, late to mature and produce few young each year. Landings are increasing each year. 204 tonnes of lesser spotted dogfish were landed to Cornish ports in 2019 with a total value of £55K (MMO data).

They can be eaten fif you can get someone to skin one for you - very sweet tasting meat they are too!