 Feeding mainly on bony fishes , the viper dogfish captures prey by protruding its jaws and impaling them with its teeth . Its impressive gape allows it to swallow relatively large fish whole . The skeletal and muscular structure of its head shows unique features that support this feeding mechanism , which is unlike that of other dogfish sharks . This shark gives birth to live young , which are nourished by yolk during gestation ; the litter size is probably fewer than 26 pups . Small numbers of viper dogfish are caught incidentally in purse seines and bottom trawls . The IUCN presently lacks sufficient data to assess the conservation status of this species . 
