Spurdogs are regularly caught by fishermen in the North Sea. In October 2008, the fishing vessel TX68 caught many spurdogs in its net in just one fishing attempt. The crew filled more than 60 crates just with this shark. This shark is named after the characteristic spines, or spurs, on the front of its dorsal fins, which are defense weapons. This creates a problem for fishermen when trying to remove them from their nets. Otherwise, spurdogs are harmless.