Dogfish...need some help here.

[Scuba Kid]

I'm searching for a chain dogfish (in the catshark family). A local private ownded aquarium (not really an aquarium, more like a little exhibit type thing owned by this one guy that collects his own fish) has a tank of chain dogfish. I know they are native to here and deepwater sharks and the only reason this guy has them is because he found a spawning site and collects eggs and hatches and raises them himself and he also gets them donated from a research institute.
My question is, does anyone know where it is possible to find these guys? Someplace online, someone that sells rare sharks? They're not so rare, just don;t really show up in the hobby, i guess.
Just wondering if anyone has ever seen these guys before, kept them, or know where to get them.

Thanks.

 

[Elasmofreak]

Hah. I have been looking to buy chainlink dogfish for about 4 years now! Its a funny thing... Shedd Aquarium in Chigago has a group of them that they are trying to breed. Apparently fishermen on the Atlantic Coast catch them fairly often... its just getting ahold of some locals who know where they are!!! A friend and my self are still debating on going to find some locals who know of a breeding site and just go collect them ourselves... but its still up in ther air... If you ever find anything out about them please let me know... I have asked prob about 15 different suppliers from all over the world, and half dont even know wtf im talking about.

 

[Elasmofreak]

my advice is follow that guy till you find out where he collects from... and dive there or ask a friend who can dive... or **** ask me, and my friend to go down for you...

 

[Scuba Kid]

Luckily, I do have my dive lisence, but i don't dive nearly as much as i should....
I do collect my own fish though and am no novice at that. I'll try to find out where this guy gets his egg cases, and when (and if) i find out I'll shoot ya a PM. I may even try to convince him to give one up for me, lol.

 

[Elasmofreak]

Luckily, I do have my dive lisence, but i don't dive nearly as much as i should....
I do collect my own fish though and am no novice at that. I'll try to find out where this guy gets his egg cases, and when (and if) i find out I'll shoot ya a PM. I may even try to convince him to give one up for me, lol.

That would be awesome... if you get a chance, ask hime if he will sell eggs to people, if so i would be interested in quite a few!!

 

[Justin_James]

Hey, it's funny you guys should mention dogfish. I'm from Prince Edward Island, Canada, (the east coast of canada) originaly and when I was younger I used to go deep sea fishing quite often and we would use hand lines for fishing that you jig up and down with feathered hookes on them for cod and mackeral. Pretty much every time I went out I always caught a couple of dogfish. When you put your line down to the bottom they always grab on to it. I've caught dogfish up to 2' in length before. They are pretty nasty too. I would say they would require a chiller though but maybe if you were to find the egg cases and climatize them very slowley they would be ok and get used to the warm water from birth insted of trying to switch a half grown shark to warm from cold.

 

[Elasmofreak]

I allready have a chiller sitting, waiting, and watching for my chain dogfish system! haha I want to breed them in captivity! It would be very cool though to slowly accustome them to warmer climates. then offer them for sale to only KNOWLEDGEABLE people! Who will take care of them!

 

[H20Boy]

Do they live off of the coastal water of SC? if so I may be able to catch a few as I am easily motivated you buy the beer I do the fishing!

 

[Scuba Kid]

Do they live off of the coastal water of SC?

yep, but they are deepwater, about 400 feet down and deeper i believe. You would have to reel them in slowly though to adjust to the pressure change.

 

[Elasmofreak]

Do they live off of the coastal water of SC?QUOTE]

Yes i believe they live along the majority of the east coast. but like scubakid said they are sometimes a deeperwater species. However they have been spotted at shallower depths of 100 or so ft. i beleive they breed in shallower water, so that would explain how ur guy can collect the eggs.
I want like 25! lol