Crocodile shark

Krokodilshai ( Pseudocarcharias kamoharai )

The Krokodilshai ( Pseudocarcharias kamoharai ) is the only species of the shark family Pseudocarchariidae and one with a length of about 70 to 110 centimeters of the smaller species of sharks. He was described in 1936 by Kiyomatsu Matsubara first time. His systematic arrangement was for some time disputed. Likewise, little is known about his life.

Features

When Krokodilshai is a small spindle-shaped shark with large eyes, a long, pointed tapered snout, movable jaws and long gill slits. He has a gray - brown body color with a white belly, tail lateral keels, small spineless dorsal fins and a short asymmetric tail fin. The length of adult specimens is about 70 to a maximum of 110 centimeters, the mass at about four to six kilograms. The teeth of his teeth are compared to other shark species dull and rather suitable for snapping of small prey than to tear chunks of food from larger animals.

Due to the large eyes can be assumed that he lives mainly nocturnal. There is evidence that he is staying mainly at night near the water surface and the day in deeper water. So far, no attacks on humans have been reported. He is considered harmless and, therefore, because of its small size, its relatively harmless dentition and its oceanic habitat than for humans.

Way of life

Distribution and habitat

Its habitat is mainly in continental slopes to a depth of 300-600 meters in the eastern Atlantic, the Western Indian Ocean, in the western North Pacific and in the central eastern Pacific Ocean, often near islands such as Cape Verde, Madagascar, Japan and Hawaii.

Reproduction and feeding

The Krokodilshai propagates eggs viviparous continued ( Ovoviviparie ), that is, the eggs are hatched in the womb and the young hatch in the womb. He gets (the uterus two) that achieve a birth size of about 40 cm usually four pups. Its diet consists mainly of bony fish, squid and crustaceans.

Other aspects of life little is known, as it is rare according to current knowledge and have been since its first description caught or found only a few copies. The previous catches come mainly from Japanese fishermen and sea anglers.

Worth mentioning

A given by the U.S. telephone company AT & T in order expedition in the late 1980s was due to the examination of bite marks that most of the damage caused by shark bites caused the deep-sea telephone cables by crocodile sharks. The reasons for this could not be clarified since crocodile sharks are not looking for the current state of knowledge, usually at the bottom of the sea for food. Moreover, it was caught under this expedition during fishing trials near deep-sea cables, not a single Krokodilshai.