BOSTON — A fisherman has been bitten on the arm by a dogfish – a type of shark – off the coast of Massachusetts and has been rescued by the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard received a radio call Tuesday morning from the captain of the 26-foot fishing boat Miss Molly reporting he was bitten while fishing alone in the Gulf of Maine 16 miles off Cape Ann, just northeast of Boston.

Adult dogfish can be 3 to 5 feet long. East Coast fishermen catch millions of pounds of them every year.

The Coast Guard launched a rescue boat crew along with Gloucester Fire Department personnel.

The fisherman was given medical treatment before reaching a Coast Guard station. He is in stable condition but is expected to be taken to a hospital for further treatment.