Article Nº 3832 Fish Vol. III · pp. 653–654
Xara
Madeiran names for two deep-sea dogfish, the white and black xara, eaten locally with a taste like salt cod.
Madeirans give the name xara branca (white xara) to Centrophorus squamosus and xara preta (black xara) to Centroscymnus coelolepis. Both fish belong to the family Espinacida and can reach a length of 1 metre or a little more. According to the fishermen who have caught these species, the white xara is usually smaller than the black.
Xaras are eaten and have a flavour similar to that of salt cod. Fishermen sometimes sell the flesh of the blue shark (Charcharias glaucus) as xara.
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