Explore the world of jawed vertebrates through a dogfish shark dissection!
The vessels in this shark dissection specimen are double injected with red and yellow latex, making it easier for students to find and identify different parts of the body; the arteries will appear red and the hepatic anatomy parts (those pertaining to the liver) will appear yellow. The dogfish shark species is Squalus acanthias.
Dogfish sharks are ovoviviparous fish, meaning they hatch eggs within their bodies. Learn more about ovoviviparous fish in a fun, interactive way. A few things you may explore in the body cavity of this shark dissection specimen include the:
- dogfish shark exterior: including gill slits, gill rakers, rostrum (pointed snout),spiracles (caudal, or towards the rear of, from the eyes), and nares (and how they relate to ampullae of Lorenzini),
- dogfish shark circulatory system: including sinus venosus, ventricle, and conus arteriosus,
- dogfish shark nervous system: including cerebrum, cerebellum, fourth ventricle, and diencephalon
- dogfish shark digestive tract/organs: including pharynx, liver, gall bladder, pancreas, spiral intestine, rectal gland, spleen, esophagus, duodenum, peritoneum, and rugae
- dogfish shark urogenital system: including kidneys (near the midline), cloaca (to determine the gender of your specimen), claspers/testes (if your specimen is male) or ovaries/oviducts (if your specimen is female),
- dogfish shark fin types: pectoral fins, anterior dorsal fin, etc.
A dogfish shark dissection will also allow you to learn more about this animal's urinary tract, rectal gland, and large and small intestine/spiral valve. Dissecting a dogfish shark will also encourage an understanding of how the shark gets its buoyancy.
Please note that the tail of the dogfish shark dissection specimens is partially cut through and folded over to facilitate injection and shipping. Specimens vary in size from 18-22" based on availability.
Note: Dogfish shark specimens are initially preserved with a formaldehyde solution, the best animal tissue fixative. The formaldehyde is then displaced first with water and finally with a glycol solution to produce a moist, low-fume specimen which will not decay over time.
Need a scalpel, dissection surface area, and other dissection tools? Consider adding our advanced dissection tools and foam shark dissection tray to your order. Our shark dissection guide will walk you through the intricacies of the dogfish shark dissection process and expand your knowledge on lateral lines (how fish uses sense to detect tiny vibrations in water).
We also offer two other dogfish shark dissection specimens: a 22"-27" dogfish shark and our 22"-27" dogfish shark, double injected specimen.
HST Specimen Guarantee
In sealed, original packaging, our preserved specimens are guaranteed to remain fully preserved and free of decay for 12 months from the date of purchase.
Once the original package is opened, use specimen within one month. For best results, observe the following storage procedures:
- Store specimen in heavy-duty, zip-lock bags to minimize drying between dissections.
- Specimen will slowly dry out or become contaminated in zip-lock bags; add a teaspoon of Specimen Holding Fluid to retain moisture.
- Freezing or refrigeration is not necessary and may damage fragile tissues.
Warning