Ragged tooth sharks, also known as sand tiger sharks, grey nurse sharks or sand sharks, are mackerel sharks of the family Odontaspididae. They are found worldwide in temperate and tropical waters. Ragged tooth sharks have a large second dorsal fin. They grow up to 10 feet in adult length. The body tends to be brown with dark markings in the upper half. These markings disappear as they mature. Their needle-like teeth are highly adapted for impaling fish. Their teeth are long, narrow, and very sharp with smooth edges, with one and on occasion two smaller cusplets on either side. The ragged tooth shark can grow up to 3.2 meters (10.5ft), and most adults can weigh around 200 Kilograms (440lbs). The average life span of both sexes is only about 7 years, though they may live even longer due to their ability to live in captivity. They are often seen swimming around the ocean floor in the surf zone, at times they come very close to shore. They are often found in warm or temperate waters throughout the world's oceans, except the eastern Pacific. They are also frequent the Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea in depths from 20 to 200 meters (65 to 650ft) and sometimes more. The Ragged tooth shark has a unique hunting strategy. They are able to gulp air from above the surface and collect the air in their stomachs. This enables them to become buoyant and approach their prey virtually motionless. They occasionally hunt in groups, and have even been known to attack full fishing nets.

ragged_tooth_shark.txt · Last modified: 2014/02/12 16:44 by grinder
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