Sand shark
| Sand sharks Temporal range: Upper Cretaceous–Recent[1] |
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| Sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Order: | Lamniformes |
| Family: | Odontaspididae J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839 |
Sand sharks, also known as sand tiger sharks or ragged tooth sharks, are mackerel sharks of the family Odontaspididae. They are found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters. There are four species in two genera.
Contents |
[edit] Description
Sand sharks have a large second dorsal fin. They grow up to 10 feet in adult length.[1] The body tends to be brown in color with dark markings in the upper half. These markings disappear as they mature. Their needle-like teeth are highly adapted for impaling fish, their main prey. Their teeth are long, narrow, and very sharp with smooth edges, with one and on occasion two smaller cusplets on either side.[2]
[edit] Reproduction
Sand sharks only develop two embryos, one in each uterus. The pups eat unfertilized eggs in a process called oophagy before being born.
[edit] Species
The family contains four species, in two genera:
- Genus Carcharias Rafinesque, 1810
- Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810 (Sand tiger shark) [3]
- Carcharias tricuspidatus Day, 1878 (Indian sand tiger) [4]
- Genus Odontaspis Agassiz 1838
- Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810) (Smalltooth sand tiger) [5]
- Odontaspis noronhai (Maul, 1955) (Bigeye sand tiger) [6]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2009). "Odontaspididae" in FishBase. January 2009 version.
- ^ Bigelow, Henry B.; Schroeder, William C. (1953). Fishes of the Gulf of Maine. United States Government Printing Office. http://www.gma.org/fogm/Carcharias_taurus.htm. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
- ^ FishBase
- ^ FishBase
- ^ FishBase
- ^ FishBase
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