A type of small shark found in oceans worldwide, often used in educational dissections because of its anatomical similarity to humans.
From 'dog' + 'fish', following English naming patterns where 'dog' denotes an inferior or common version (similar to 'dogfennel'). The name may reference the shark's aggressive feeding behavior.
Biology classes have dissected dogfish sharks for decades because their internal anatomy closely mirrors human organs—it's like nature designed them as perfect learning models, which is why generations of students remember that fishy formaldehyde smell.
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