Bizarre fish that cannot be mistaken for anything else, has a very deep rigid body, the skin is densely covered with firm prickles, it has a small mouth and large nostrils. Reaching a length of 75 cm (30 in), this brown to gray shark has a prominent "humpback". It is further characterized by two enormous, sail-like dorsal fins placed relatively close together. Both dorsal fins have a spine embedded mostly within the fleshy leading portion of the fin; the first dorsal spine is tilted forward.

Found in Southern Australia and a similar species in the Northern Hemisphere. Uncommon but found near the sea floor over outer continental and insular (surrounding islands) shelves and upper slopes,

The prickly dogfish is thought to be a slow-moving predator of small benthic (bottom living) organisms.

It is aplacental viviparous, with females giving birth to litters of around seven pups.

NZ Marine Fishes: Paul