Shark cat: description, color, photo

Often you can hear that there are sharks in our seas. What they are dangerous for a person? In the Black Sea, for example, lives katran, or shark cat. We will talk about it today. About that it is a predator, speak its small teeth, which in the mouth of a shark is very much. But the modest size of the fish assures us: Katran does not pose a threat to human life. And can I grab a finger, smelling the smell of blood? We'll talk about this in our article. All about the numerous cat-shark family read below. After all, the Black Sea katran has close relatives. For example, a scylium. This cat's shark also swims into the Black Sea through the Bosporus. But usually it hibernates in warmer water areas.

Classification of sharks

Of all the carharinous fish, a fairly extensive family of Selachians is distinguished. This group of scientists are divided into three subclasses. The first is the striped cat shark. It includes eight species. Still there is a false cat shark. Scientists know only one species. And finally, the most numerous family of real feline sharks. These are fifteen genera, which are divided into almost one hundred and thirty species. It is not easy to understand such an abundance. Especially since the cat's shark is also called a "sea dog" - because of a muzzle that resembles a dog's. This large family of carnivorous fish is very different. There are species of viviparous, and there are some that lay eggs in a hard shell - like chickens. According to the diet, cat sharks also do not adhere to unity. Most species hunt for small fishes, but there are also those who prefer the bottom fauna - crustaceans, mollusks, worms. Different color, size, habitat, shape of teeth - what does this predator have in common? Probably a resemblance to a cat.

Why they are called so

In principle, only katran has a second name - "sea dog". All other fish of this species resemble the terrestrial cats in body shape. They have a long, flexible and graceful body. The flattened head resembles a cat's. Only ears and mustache. Yes, and the habits of them, like pussies. In the afternoon they prefer to doze off. Is that some careless fish swims directly in front of the nose ... Then the cat shark, gluttonous, like all of its larger relatives, will make a lightning attack. But these predators prey mainly at night. What allows them to see in the dark? The eyes of these species of sharks are large, as in cats. However, they are guided not by darkness but by light sensors. They are located near the eyes. With the help of these sensors, the predator senses the presence of other living things - fish or crustaceans. There is an opinion that the cat's shark has a vertical pupil. However, this is true only for some species. Light focuses on these eye slits, which allows the predator to see well at dusk. And this makes the fish more closely related to our furry favorites.

Shark cat: some species. Katran

As mentioned above, the family of the Selachians is very numerous. We describe here only a few species. Let's start with our, domestic. Katran is a cat-shark inhabiting the Black Sea. She has other names. First of all, it's a sea dog, and also a nail-bearer and a prickly shark. These last names are earned by the fish because all of her body is covered with sharp spikes. You can get hurt about them. A sea dog called katrana because of pointed rostrum. The color of this shark is dark gray on the back. The sides of the fish are lighter, and the belly is completely white. This gluttonous little shark, which rarely reaches a length of one meter. Although there are instances and under two. However, Katran feeds exclusively on anchovy. His mouth is curved, crescent, like all sharks. It is full of small teeth that grow in rows. During the warm season, the katran is kept near the shore, and in winter it goes to the depth. The female of this shark gives birth to fifteen live cubs.

Common cat's shark

The photo of this fish allows you to compare it with colorful inhabitants of coral reefs. However, the habitat of the ordinary cat shark only reaches the southern latitudes by the southern margin. There is this species in the Atlantic Ocean - from Norway to Morocco. Sometimes, in the summer, an ordinary cat's shark enters our Black Sea. The color of this small, up to a meter long fish is very variegated. If we compare this representative of the Selachian with the cat, then we can say that her suit is a spotted tabby. The shark eats near-bottom crustaceans and molluscs. The female lays two to twenty eggs in a hard shell. They cling to rocks or algae with two angled horn strings. Males develop about the same time as a human embryo - nine months. Katran and the common cat shark are of gastronomic interest for humans. Industrial fishing on them is not, but the Black Sea fishermen make of these species a tasty balyk.

Australian coral

This cat shark, whose photo is rather exotic, makes it a frequent inhabitant of aquariums. In captivity, it takes root well. Small, up to 60 centimeters, the shark feeds on crustaceans and a tiny fish inhabiting the Great Coral Reef off the coast of Australia. But also this species is found in shallow water, in stony or sandy soils. There she leads a bottom-line lifestyle. The fish reproduce by oviposition. The color of this shark is variegated, like most coral inhabitants. But the eyes are big and dark.

California Shark

As the name suggests, this species lives in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico and the southern borders of the United States. The cat's shark is striped in color, in addition, black spots all over its body. The skin resembles sandpaper, and in some places there are sharp spikes. This fish reaches a length of one meter. But thanks to a huge mouth, it can swallow a fairly large prey. It feeds mainly on fish. I wonder how the Californian cat shark reacts to danger. She swallows a large amount of air, which inflates like a ball. Suddenly the increased size of the fish and especially the thorns on the body prevent the predator from swallowing it. After the danger passes, such sharks float on the surface of the water like balls, until they are blown away.

Deep sea species

Usually these fish live in shallow water, although they lead a benthonic lifestyle. But there are also such species that occur at a depth of more than six hundred meters. For example, a black feline shark from water pressure has a flattened muzzle, similar to a shovel. The color of these fishes is adapted for hunting in conditions of complete darkness. Coal black or dark brown, it helps predators to sneak up close to their prey. Deep-sea sharks are small fish. The length of their body does not exceed a meter. Due to their habitat, these species have been poorly studied. Of these, the Madeira black shark stands out . The species is distributed from this island to the north almost to Iceland. The flexible body of the fish in the tail has small fins.