Odontaspis

Schildzahnhai ( odontaspis ferox )

The small - tooth sand tiger sharks ( odontaspis ) are a genus of Makrelenhaiartigen ( Lamniformes ) within the Sand Sharks ( Odontaspididae ). It includes two species, the Schildzahnhai (O. ferox ) and the bigeye sand tiger (O. noronhai ). It's great shark species with average body lengths of 3 meters, the maximum length can be up to about 4 meters.

Features

In the two species of the genus are large sharks with the typical streamlined shape pelagic fauna species. They reach a body length of an average of more than 3 meters, the bigeye sand tiger shark can reach a maximum length of 3.60 and the Schildzahnhai even of 4.10 meters. The Schildzahnhai is gray to gray- brown in color and often marked with spots, the bigeye sand tiger shark, however, is considerably darker red-brown to black and unmarked.

Compared to the closely related sand tiger shark ( Carcharias taurus) they have a tapered snout and relatively large eyes. The first dorsal fin is with them also significantly larger than the second and the anal fin and it is much closer to the pectoral fins than on the ventral fins. As with the sand tiger shark teeth are also clearly visible when the mouth is closed, but they are smaller and are less dense in the upper and lower jaw.

Dissemination

The two species of the genus are found worldwide in tropical marine areas, however, are only a few isolated areas known. The Schildzahnhai occurs except in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and the Mediterranean, while the bigeye sand tiger shark has only been documented locally from some areas of the Atlantic and the central Pacific.

The Schildzahnhai lives in the area of the continental shelf at depths up to 420 m, the bigeye sand tiger shark is, however, a pronounced deep-water species with a distribution at depths between 600 and 1000 meters. Both live near the seabed, but the former can also occur in higher free water layers as well as in the area of ​​rocky reefs.

Way of life

Over the life of the two species, especially those of the bigeye sand tiger shark, There is very little information. They are viviparous ( viviparous ), with feed the embryo in the womb of younger eggs and embryos. Both sharks feed on bony fishes and invertebrates.

System

The genus of small tooth sand tiger sharks consists of two types and forms together with the sand tiger shark ( Carcharias taurus), the family of the Sand Sharks ( Odontaspididae ) within the Makrelenhaiartigen ( Lamniformes ).

The two types are to be

• The Schildzahnhai (O. ferox ) and
• The bigeye sand tiger (O. noronhai )

Endangering

The Schildzahnhai is listed in the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN) as vulnerable ( "vulnerable "), while the bigeye sand tiger shark insufficient data for classification exist ( "Data deficient" ).