Small-spotted catshark
Scyliorhinus canicula
Size, compared with you
You: 1.7 m. Small-spotted catshark: 1 m.
Person-sized. Grows up to about 1 m.
The small-spotted catshark is the most common catshark in the coastal waters of Europe. It rests on sandy and muddy sea floors by day and hunts small animals at night.
The weird bit
A 2014 study at the University of Exeter found that small-spotted catsharks have different personalities: some are more sociable, some more aggressive, and some more adventurous.
Quick facts
- Where it lives
- Coast and shallows10 to 400 m down
- What it eats
- Crabs, shrimps, shellfish, worms, small squid and small fish
- How worried are we?
- Doing okay (Least Concern)Assessed in 2020 by the IUCN Red List.