sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus), smalltooth sand tiger (Odontaspis ferox) Description
English: Two species of sand tiger sharks
Date 7 August 2013, 21:47:53
Author Jwhferguson
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sandtigersharkspecies.jpg
The sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus), grey nurse shark, spotted ragged-tooth shark, or blue-nurse sand tiger is a species of shark that inhabits subtropical and temperate waters worldwide. It inhabits the continental shelf, from sandy shorelines (hence the name sand tiger shark) and submerged reefs to a depth of around 191 m. They dwell in the waters of Japan, Australia, South Africa, the Mediterranean and the east coasts of North and South America.
The smalltooth sand tiger or bumpytail ragged-tooth (Odontaspis ferox) is a species of mackerel shark in the family Odontaspididae, with a patchy but worldwide distribution in tropical and warm temperate waters. They usually inhabit deepwater rocky habitats, though they are occasionally encountered in shallow water, and have been known to return to the same location year after year. This rare species is often mistaken for the much more common grey nurse shark (Carcharias taurus), from which it can be distinguished by its first dorsal fin, which is larger than the second and placed further forward.