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Lamniformes: Odontaspididae 419<br />
Order LAMNIFORMES<br />
ODONTASPIDIDAE<br />
Sand tiger sharks<br />
Diagnostic characters: Large sharks. Head with 5 medium-sized gill slits, all in front of pectoral-fin bases,<br />
their upper ends not extending onto dorsal surface of head; eyes small or moderately large, without<br />
nictitating eyelids; no nasal barbels or nasoral grooves; snout conical or moderately depressed, not<br />
blade-like;mouth very long and angular, extending well behind eyes when jaws are not protruded; lower labial<br />
furrows present at mouth corners; anterior teeth enlarged, with long, narrow, sharp-edged but unserrated<br />
cusps and small basal cusplets (absent in young of at least 1 species), the upper anteriors separated from the<br />
laterals by a gap and tiny intermediate teeth; gill arches without rakers; spiracles present but very small. Two<br />
moderately large high dorsal fins, the first dorsal fin originating well in advance of the pelvic fins, the<br />
second dorsal fin as large as or somewhat smaller than the first dorsal fin; anal fin as large as second dorsal fin<br />
or slightly smaller; caudal fin short, asymmetrical, with a strong subterminal notch and a short but well marked<br />
ventral lobe. Caudal peduncle not depressed, without keels; a deep upper precaudal pit present but no<br />
lower pit. Intestinal valve of ring type, with turns closely packed like a stack of washers. Colour: grey or<br />
grey-brown to blackish above, blackish to light grey or white, with round or oval dark spots and blotches variably<br />
present on 2 species.<br />
eyes without<br />
nictitating eyelids<br />
high dorsal<br />
fins<br />
upper precaudal<br />
pit present<br />
intestinal valve of ring type<br />
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Wide-ranging, tropical to cool-temperate sharks, found inshore and down to<br />
moderate depths on the edge of the continental shelves and around some oceanic islands, and in the open<br />
ocean. Development is ovoviviparous (aplacental viviparous) as far as known. They feed on bony fishes, other<br />
sharks, squids, and occasionally bottom crustaceans. Normally inoffensive, occasionally biting people, 2 species<br />
are popular as subjects of ecotouristic diving and 1 as an aquarium exhibit. In Area 31, Carcharias taurus<br />
is regularly caught for food, liver oil, and processed for fish meal. Two species of Odontaspis are rarely caught<br />
in the area and are not utilized commercially.
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