Species sheet · The Edible Ocean
Small-spotted catshark
A small spotted shark of rocky bottoms.
- Cooked in sauce or Armoricaine style
- Grilled in steaks
- In fish terrine
- In French
- Petite roussette
- Scientific name
- Scyliorhinus canicula
- In the water
- A small demersal shark of the north-east Atlantic and Mediterranean, found over rocky and sandy bottoms from 10 to 780 m.
- Season & buying
- Available year-round, but the flesh is best in autumn.
- Common length
- ~60 cm
- How to identify it
- Small slender body with dark spots
Large eyes set on the sides of the head
Two dorsal fins without spines
On the plate
Firm, pinkish flesh, comparable to that of skate.
Avoid: Eating it too often; like sharks, it accumulates pollutants.
The small-spotted catshark lays eggs in rectangular capsules often called 'mermaid's purses'.
In Umay recipes
One Umay recipe calls for it.
