spiny dogfish
nounDefinition of spiny dogfish
: any of various dogfishes constituting the family Squalidae and distinguished by the presence of a spine in or immediately anterior to each dorsal fin: such as
a
: a common very destructive dogfish (Squalus acanthias) of both coasts of the North Atlantic that becomes about four feet long and has the fin spines stout and prominent
b
: a similar dogfish (Squalus suckleyi) of the Pacific coast of North America