Odontaspis ferox
Smalltooth Sand Tiger Shark [+]

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Lamniformes
Family: Odontaspididae
Genus: Odontaspis
species: ferox
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Description & Behavior

The smalltooth sand tiger shark, Odontaspis ferox (Risso, 1810), aka bumpytail raggedtooth, sand tiger, Herbst's nurse shark (Australia), sand tiger shark, sand shark, blue nurse shark (UK), and ragged-tooth shark (US), is often confused with the sandtiger, grey nurse or ragged-tooth sharks. Other scientific names (synonyms): Carcharias ferox (Risso, 1810), Dontaspis herbsti (Whitley, 1950), and Squalus ferox (Risso, 1810). This large shark has a short, pointed snout, small eyes, protruding spike-like teeth, and small, dorsal and anal fins similar in size. The first dorsal closer to pectoral than to pelvic fins. Gray on the dorsal side, pale on the ventral side, occasionally with red spots on sides. Maximum length 3.67 m; maximum weight: 289 kg.

World Range & Habitat

Eastern Atlantic: Gulf of Gascony, Madeira, Morocco, Mediterranean; also Cape Verde. Western Atlantic: Yucatan Shelf, Mexico. Indo-West Pacific: off South Africa and Maldives, Madagascar, southern Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Expected to occur in the western central Pacific. Central Pacific: off Hawaii. Eastern Pacific: off southern California, US and Baja California, Mexico.

Bathydemersal; marine; depth range 10-530 m, deep-water species. Found on or near the bottom of the continental and insular shelves and upper slopes. Sometimes in shallow water. Uses its long body cavity and large, oily liver to regulate its buoyancy.

» GBIF occurrence data in Google Earth [Tips] | Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS) (World Distribution) [about]

Feeding Behavior (Ecology)

The smalltooth sand tiger shark, Odontaspis ferox, feeds on small bony fishes, squids and crustaceans.

Life History

Ovoviviparous, probably with uterine cannibalism. Two young born at 105 cm or larger. Distinct pairing with embrace.

Ovoviviparous: eggs are retained within the body of the female in a brood chamber where the embryo develops, receiving nourishment from a yolk sac. This is the method of reproduction for the "live-bearing" fishes where pups hatch from egg capsules inside the mother's uterus and are born soon afterward. Also known as aplacental viviparous.

Conservation Status/Additional Comments

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The smalltooth sand tiger shark, Odontaspis ferox (Australian subpopulation), is listed as Vulnerable (VU A2abd+3bd+4abd) with the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:

VULNERABLE (VU)
A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable (see Section V), and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.

Harmless. Not implicated in attacks on people. Flesh utilized for human consumption and liver for its high squalene content.