We have determined the complete nucleotide sequence of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of the dogfish, Scyliorhinus canicula. The 16,697-bp-long mtDNA possesses a gene organization identical to that of the Osteichthyes, but different from that of the sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus. The main features of the mtDNA of osteichthyans were thus established in the common ancestor to chondrichthyans and osteichthyans. The phylogenetic analysis confirms that the Chondrichthyes are the sister group of the Osteichthyes.