Dusky smooth-hound Dusky smooth-hound The dusky smooth-hound ("Mustelus canis"), also called the smooth dogfish or the dog shark, is a species of houndshark in the family Triakidae. This shark is an olive grey or brown in color, and may have shades of yellow or grayish white. Females live to 16 years and males have a lifespan of 10 years. "M. canis" was the first shark recognised to have viral infections. "M. canis" can be known as smooth dogfish, Atlantic smooth dogfish, dusky smooth-hound, grayish, nurse shark, smooth dog, or smooth-hound. It was originally named "Squalls canis". In Latin, "mustelus" translates to weasel
Dusky smooth-hound replaced tooth. Teeth are replaced at a rate of one row per 10 to 12 days. "M. canis" feeds mostly on crustaceans, polychaetes, and mollusks. Smooth dogfish also eat squid, worms, small fish, razor clams, and occasionally garbage. They are nocturnal scavengers and opportunistic predators. Their nocturnal activity helps them to take advantage of concentrations of crustacean prey. The mating season of smooth dogfish is from May to June. They are viviparous and have a yolk-sac placenta. Females can store sperm up to a year, but how long it can be used is not known. Their gestation period is 10