Researchers recorded multiple roughskin dogfish (Centroscymnus owstonii) on video at 1,054 meters off Little Cayman in the Cayman Islands. The shark is not new to science: the observation is the first reported record for the Greater Antilles and central Caribbean, and a new locality record for the Cayman Islands.
What did researchers find?
A deep-sea video lander captured footage of multiple live roughskin dogfish, a deep-water shark with a patchy global distribution. The observation adds a location to the known record of the species; it does not establish that the sharks recently arrived in the Caribbean.
The peer-reviewed study by Olivia F. L. Dixon and coauthors describes the observation as, to their knowledge, the first record in the Greater Antilles and central Caribbean. It also adds a species-locality record for the Cayman Islands. The paper was published online on November 28, 2024, and appeared in the March 2025 issue of the Journal of Fish Biology, volume 106, issue 3, pages 980–986. Read the study.
Where and how deep was the shark recorded?
The dogfish were observed at 1,054 meters (about 3,458 feet) off Little Cayman, one of the Cayman Islands. The depth is reported in the peer-reviewed study. The footage came from a deep-sea remote video lander used to document animals in their habitat.
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- Cartilaginous Fish Anatomy Preserved Dogfish Shark: High-quality formalin-preserved shark specimen for studying elasmobranch anatomy, vertebrate biology, and species identification. Ideal for classroom dissection, lab study, and marine science education.
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How did the camera survey work?
The team deployed baited remote underwater video systems as part of research into deep-sea biodiversity. A lander carries recording equipment into deep water and captures animals that come within view; this lets researchers observe live sharks without relying only on specimens caught incidentally. The study highlights video landers as a useful way to improve knowledge of deep-sea shark biology and diversity.
Contemporaneous reporting identifies Beneath The Waves as the lead organization, working with the Cayman Islands Department of Environment, with support from the Darwin Plus Initiative and GoPro. The report does not identify a consumer camera model as the scientific instrument, so the finding is not evidence that a particular action camera is required for this kind of survey. Read the Discover Wildlife report.
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What is a roughskin dogfish?
The roughskin dogfish is a shark species known scientifically as Centroscymnus owstonii. Its name refers to its rough-textured skin. The species was already recognized before this sighting; the important new information is its documented occurrence in this Caribbean region.
What this record does—and does not—show
Seeing multiple individuals confirms their presence at the survey location and depth. It does not amount to a population census or reveal how many roughskin dogfish live around Little Cayman. The observation alone also cannot establish the species’ range boundaries, migration, or conservation status. The study’s significance is the new regional documentation and the demonstration that video landers can reveal deep-sea sharks that are otherwise difficult to observe.
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Why the wording matters
Some coverage described the sighting as the discovery of a “mysterious species.” That can suggest a species previously unknown to science, but the primary study reports a first regional record of a known shark. A careful description is that researchers recorded roughskin dogfish in a part of the Caribbean where the species had not previously been reported.
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