A description of the bramble shark Echinorhinus brucus (Bonnaterre 1788) is given here based on specimens collected during exploratory surveys from the continental slope from 200 to 400 metres along the west coast of India and the Gulf of Mannar. The description of a 300 mm embryo of this species is also included. A biochemical analysis of the meat and liver of this species showed that the moisture content of the meat is high (78.66 %), and the percentage of oil in the liver is as high as 78.07 %, The vitamin A content of the oil is negligible, being only 360 USP/gm of oil.