A note on the breeding season, sex ratio and embryonic development of the dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula (L.)

Abstract

Records of nearly 2000 dogfish collected from the Ilfracombe region suggest that the spawning season of this fish starts in November and continues at least until July. This area probably represents a spawning ground into which the females migrate during the spawning season; the males follow them much later in April and May.Figures are given to show the time taken at different temperatures for the embryo to develop to a series of definite morphological stages; these suggest that the temperature characteristic of the development (µ = 20,000) is substantially the same as for several teleost species.