Common sea fox. Sea fox: not a beast, but a fish

This species is also known as the common foxfish, fox shark and foxfish. The habitat extends to tropical and temperate waters. In the Atlantic Ocean these cartilaginous fish live from Newfoundland to Argentina and from North Sea to the southern tip of Africa. Found in the Mediterranean Sea. In the Indian Ocean they are common in its northern part. And in the Pacific Ocean, the fox shark has chosen a zone from Japan to New Zealand and from British Columbia to Chile.

This species is subject to seasonal migrations. He moves to northern latitudes along with warm masses of water. Moreover, the range of movement of males is wider than that of females. It is assumed that the populations of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans have different life cycle. This is indirectly indicated by the fact that there are no migrations from ocean to ocean. Representatives of the species are deep-sea and live at depths of up to 550 meters. Only young sharks are sometimes found near the shore.

Description

The body is streamlined, torpedo-shaped with a short, wide head. The eyes are medium in size and lack urinary membranes. The mouth is small, its shape is curved. There are 35-52 rows of teeth on the upper jaw, and 26-49 such rows on the lower jaw. The teeth are small, triangular in shape, and have no serrations. There are 5 pairs of gill slits.

The main feature of the fox shark is its tail fin. Its upper part is very long and matches the length of the body. With the help of this powerful blade, a predatory fish stuns its prey. The pectoral fins are sickle-shaped. The dorsal fin is relatively high and located approximately in the middle of the back. There is a tiny second dorsal fin. The pelvic fins are quite large. The skin is covered with protective placoid scales.

The color of the upper body varies from purple-brown to gray. The sides are bluish, the belly is white. In length, including the tail fin, the fox shark reaches 5 meters and weighs 230 kg. Officially registered maximum length equal to 5.7 meters. The estimated maximum length could reach 6.5 meters. And the heaviest caught was the female. With a body length of 4.8 meters, she weighed 510 kg.

Reproduction and lifespan

This species is ovoviviparous. Pregnancy lasts 9 months. There are from 2 to 7 newborns in a litter. They appear from March to June. They reach a length of 12-16 cm, weigh 5-6 kg and add 50 cm in length every year. Adult fox sharks grow 10 cm per year. Puberty in males it occurs at a body length of 3-3.2 meters. Females mature at a length of 2.5-4.5 meters. IN wildlife The fox shark lives 15-20 years. The maximum life expectancy reaches 50 years.

Behavior and nutrition

The main diet consists of schooling fish such as mackerel, herring, garfish, anchovies; squid and invertebrates are also eaten. Fish hunting is carried out individually or in groups. Sharks, with their long tails, drive their victims into a dense pile and swallow them. In addition, common fox sharks can use their tails to stifle prey. In this way they attack sea lions And seabirds. However, this happens when there are few fish. If there is a lot of it, then only it is eaten.

Conservation status

IN beginning of XXI century this type received the status of vulnerable. This was linked to commercial overfishing. Representatives of the species value their meat and fins. Vitamins are obtained from the liver, and the skin is tanned. Fox sharks are currently protected by law. The catch of these cartilaginous fish has decreased, but poachers still cause some damage to this species.

The fox shark is also known as the sea fox shark, whose Latin name is Alopias vulpinus.

Distinctive feature These sharks have a very long upper lobe of the caudal fin, which is equal to the length of the entire body.

This predator hunts by bursting into a school of fish, right into its middle, waving its tail from side to side, stunning the fish in this way, and then eats them. The back of sharks of this species is colored gray or black, and its belly is light.

According to the method of reproduction, the fox shark is viviparous. These are quite large sharks with a body length reaching 6 meters. Fox sharks are considered dangerous to humans; they often show interest in scuba divers and swimmers. However, there are not many recorded cases of them attacking people.

Reproduction

This shark is also called the "common sea fox" or fox shark.

As already mentioned, these sharks are viviparous. At one time, a female shark is capable of giving birth to 1-2 sharks. The cubs that are born are very large - about one and a half meters long. Fox sharks reach sexual maturity when their body grows to approximately 4 meters.

Attitude towards a person

Fox sharks do not pose a great danger to humans, but they show a certain interest in diving divers, spinning around them, but most often without attacking. But there have been recorded cases of these predators attacking boats.

Habitats

Habitat of fox sharks – coastal waters California, as well as some areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The average size of adult individuals is about 4.7 meters in length and weighs about 360 kilograms. Another distinctive feature of these sharks is their huge eyes, characteristic of species that live in dark places. In addition, there is a pelagic fox shark (Alopias pelagicus), which lives in the Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as offshore Western Australia, Taiwan and China and other countries.

The habitat of this fish is quite wide.

In the Atlantic Ocean summer time The fox shark can be found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway.

Nutrition

The main diet of fox sharks consists of small fish and shellfish. Sometimes the largest individuals attack. The meat of fox sharks themselves is suitable for human food because it is not poisonous. Fox sharks have an excellent appetite; for example, 27 large mackerels were found in the stomach of one caught specimen, about 4 meters long. Sea foxes often hunt in pairs.

As already mentioned, in hunting, the fox shark uses its tail, which stuns potential prey. Moreover, fish cannot always play this role. There is evidence of sharks of this species attacking seabirds swimming on the surface of the water with their tails. One precise blow with its tail - and the unwary bird ends up in the shark’s mouth.

Class - Cartilaginous fishes / subclass - Elasmobranchii fishes / Superorder - Sharks (Selach)

Storystudying

The largest sea fox is the common sea fox (Alopias vulpinus), its size is 5.5-6 meters, and can be found in coastal areas. The smallest pelagic fox shark (Alopias pelagicus), measuring about 3 meters, lives in the depths away from the shore. The color is a beautiful dark blue with a whitish belly. It has smooth, wide pectoral fins. Eyes larger than common fox, but not the same as the big-eyed one. The most “beautiful” big-eyed fox shark (Alopias superciliosus) has unnaturally large bulging eyes. And all representatives of this family have in common the possession of a magnificent fox tail.

Spreading

These sharks can be found near California and in parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

The pelagic fox shark (Alopias pelagicus) lives in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It can also be found off the coast of China, Taiwan, Western Australia and many other countries.

Externalview

Adult fox sharks measure about 4.7 meters and weigh about 360 kilograms. Outwardly, these sharks are distinguished by their huge eyes, which is typical for individuals that live in dark places.

Structural features

The fox shark has a very long upper lobe of the caudal fin, reaching the length of the entire body.

Reproduction

Fox sharks are viviparous. Adult females are capable of giving birth to no more than two sharks. Newborn individuals measure about 1.5 meters. With a body length of about 4 meters, fox sharks reach sexual maturity.

Lifestyle

When hunting, this shark uses its long tail as its main weapon. Approaching a school of fish, the sea fox begins to circle around it, foaming the water with whip-like blows of the caudal fin. Gradually the circles become smaller and smaller, and the frightened fish gather in an increasingly compact group. It is then that the shark begins to greedily swallow its prey. Sometimes a pair of sea foxes takes part in such a hunt. In some cases, the sea fox acts with its tail fin as a flail, using it to stun its prey.

Nutrition

The main food of fox sharks is small fish and shellfish. The fox shark (Alopias vulpinus) has a fairly long top part caudal fin. It has dimensions comparable to the body size of a shark. The fox shark hunts with the help of its fin. She wedges herself into a school of fish and begins to beat her tail different sides, stunning the fish. She then slowly eats her prey. Large specimens They often even attack dolphins.

Number

Fortunately, it has no commercial value, does not like to settle on the coast, has formidable weapon And large sizes– all this greatly helps her not to end up in the Red Book.

Fox shark and man

Fox sharks are completely harmless to humans, but when divers dive, they circle around him, although they do not attack. However, there is information that these individuals attacked boats.

Fox shark - most interesting representative ocean depths. This is a large cartilaginous fish whose body shape resembles a torpedo. The genus includes three species of predators. They all have characteristic features body structure and behavior.

What does the name mean?

Yours unusual name The genus of sharks received thanks to its long tail, or more precisely, the tip of the caudal fin. The upper segment can account for almost half the entire length of the predator. In addition to its size, the tail has another feature - the elongated lobe of the tail is flexible and movable. The British, having watched the predator hunt, gave it the most accurate name: thresher shark. It literally sounds like “thresher shark.” This is due to the unusual way of hunting.

Unusual hunt

The fox shark does not waste time on trifles: it does not chase individual victims, but prefers an abundant “restaurant” menu. During the hunt, the predator drives the frightened prey into a dense school, crashes into it and begins to “thresh” in different directions long tail. Then he leisurely dines on stunned fish. Considering the size of the predator, one can imagine the power of such a “thresher”. Fishermen who managed to catch an amazing shark complained that the one pulled out of familiar environment On the deck, the fish managed to smash and break with its tail everything it could reach.

Appearance

Since the tail is the most prominent part of this species, descriptions of the predator's appearance almost always begin with it. However, it is worth noting that the fox shark is the most impressive representative of cartilaginous fish. It has an elongated torpedo-shaped body, a wide head and a pointed muzzle. For breathing, the underwater inhabitant has 5 paired gill slits. The two outermost slits are located above pectoral fins. The fins themselves are pointed and long. The fox shark has a small curved mouth with labial grooves. The predator's teeth are small and their edges are smooth.

The anal and dorsal fins, unlike the caudal fin, are small. There are slight differences in fin sizes and colors among different ones.

Taxonomy of species

The sea fox family is divided into 3 species:

Alopias vulpinus, that is, the common sea fox.
Alopias superciliosus is a deep fox shark called the big-eyed fox.
Alopias pelagicus, a species of pelagic (small-toothed) fox.

In 1995, a fish was discovered in the waters of California, which they wanted to designate as a fourth species, but there was no confirmation of this theory, and the fourth species remained unrecognized.

Main differences. Common fox

It has a streamlined body shape with a clear curve of the back. She has a cone-shaped short head with medium-sized eyes lacking a third eyelid. The predator's teeth are small, fang-like, slightly flattened. The average size of sharks is about five meters. At the same time, a maximum was recorded - more than 7 m, and a minimum - less than four.

The shark's body color is heterogeneous. There were individuals of dark brown, blue-gray, and steel color. Some fish had a black back and a light belly.

Deep sea big-eyed fox

Despite the body structure typical of fox sharks, this representative is easily recognized by the size of its eyes. The big-eyed fox shark fully lives up to its name. In some individuals, the diameter of the eye reaches 10 cm. The peculiarity of the location of the organ in the orbit allows the predator to see not only in front and to the sides, but also to view the space above its head.

One more distinguishing feature type - special lateral grooves. They are formed at the junction of the body and the head, passing over the gill slits and eye sockets.

The teeth of the bigeye fox shark are larger than those of other species. They have one apex and are the same size on the upper and lower jaws.

The body color is brownish-violet, the belly is always lighter than the back. The dorsal fin is shifted towards the tail.

Pelagic fox

The color is dark: most often these are various shades of blue and gray colors. The shark's belly is much lighter.

The species has well-developed pectorals, tails and dorsal fins. But at the same time, the second dorsal and anal fin are very small. The elongated lobe of the tail is narrower than in other species.

Habitat and diet

The fox shark has a wide range. It is found in the tropics and temperate latitudes. The pelagic species is characterized by an existence remote from coastlines. This species lives in surface layers and at depths up to 150 m.

The big-eyed fox prefers more serious depth. She is comfortable 500 m below the surface.

They love coastal zone, but they feel good and are far from the ground. This species prefers surface layers, but can dive up to 500 meters.

Fox sharks do not attack too large prey, since the basis of their diet is schooling fish. We have already talked about the hunting habits of this genus, but this does not mean that predators cannot make exceptions. In the absence of schools of fish, the fox shark’s diet can include any living creature. The person, most likely, will simply be stunned by the tail - the shark will not dare to dine on such an unpredictable enemy.

frilled shark
Frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) - the only one in its family deep sea shark. Maximum length - 2 m. Bears offspring for about three and a half years.

Frilled shark - rare and unusual look sharks The maximum length is no more than two meters. The shark's body is serpentine. The anal, dorsal and two pelvic fins are located closer to the tail. Which makes it look more like an eel than a shark. She hunts according to the same principle as a snake. First it bends and quickly straightens in a jerk. And that's not all hers unique differences. Up to three dozen rows of small and very sharp teeth will not let the victim out. Even if she manages to escape, she will receive numerous lacerations. The frilled shark hunts small cephalopods and small sharks. This shark, unlike its relatives, does not tear the victim into pieces, but swallows it whole. Capable of swallowing fish half the length of its body. It lives at a depth of up to 1.5 thousand meters, but most often it can be found at a depth of about 200 meters.

The frilled shark got its name from the skin folds near the head, of which there are 6 on each side. They were formed by gill fibers, which cover the gills. The shark is able to cover its gills to create pressure inside its mouth, which helps swallow food. Average length these sharks are about one and a half meters. The largest specimen known to science reached a length of 2 meters.

Pregnancy of the frilled shark lasts 3.5 years. This is the longest pregnancy of all. known to science vertebrates. In one month, the embryo grows on average 1–1.5 cm. At three months, the embryo has a fully formed jaw, fins and external gills, but it will remain in the womb for more than 3 years. Newborns are about 50 cm long. The frilled shark gives birth to an average of 10–15 pups.

The frilled shark has no special value for humans, unlike others sea creatures. But it often gets caught in fishermen's nets and is eaten. This shark is considered rare species due to its small numbers. The deep-sea habitat does not save the species either.

Source

From

Pelagic largemouth shark
The pelagic largemouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is the only species known to science today from the genus Megachasm. In addition, this is one of three species of sharks whose diet includes plankton.

Science knows only three species of sharks that feed on plankton: the giant whale shark and the pelagic largemouth shark. The pelagic largemouth shark lives at different depths from 50 to 1,600 m. The species was discovered in 1976. Until now, it is the only specimen of the family. According to 2014 data, only 60 individuals of this species were found. Habitat: Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

The largest individual of the species was a female pelagic largemouth shark. Its length was 5.7 m. It hit fishing nets off the coast of Japan. Although the female was released, she later washed ashore already dead. Little is known about the life of these sharks. Judging by the structure of the teeth, which are quite small, awl-shaped, and the study of the stomach of dead individuals, these sharks are filterers. Their diet includes krill and other small ocean inhabitants.

Since the body of this shark is quite weak, it leads a passive lifestyle. For hunting plankton, it has its own secrets. When the mouth opens, the upper jaw moves forward. Thus, opening the silvery rim of the mouth, which is a bait for plankton.

Source

From

Class: cartilaginous fish
order: Carchariformes
family: gray sharks
genus: gray sharks
Habitats
The gray reef shark is found throughout almost the entire waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans, adhering to coral reefs, strong currents and depths of up to 280 m.
Distinctive properties
The average body length usually reaches 1.9–2 m, males are slightly larger than females. The maximum weight of a gray shark caught is 33.7 kg. Color - various shades of gray, sometimes brownish and even bronze. The shark's body is shaped like a torpedo.
Lifestyle
This is an intelligent, cunning and fast animal with a phenomenal sense of smell and high-speed reaction, showing great interest in everything that moves. Gray sharks are active throughout the day, hunting mainly at night, gathering in small schools of 5 to 20 individuals. Lives up to 25 years.
Reproduction
During the mating season, gray reef sharks protect an individual area from other individuals of their species, the area of which is about 4 km2. When a competitor appears, the animal first demonstrates dissatisfaction by making sharp swings of its tail and distinctly arching its back. The gray reef shark is viviparous species. Once a year, a female gives birth to 1–6 cubs.
Food and enemies
The main prey is fish, mollusks and crustaceans, the favorite is octopuses and other cephalopods. Natural enemies practically none. Only angry individuals of their own species or humans pose a danger.
Source

From

Class: cartilaginous fish
order: Carchariformes
family: gray sharks
genus: gray sharks
The Malagasy night shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) lives in tropical waters Indian and Pacific Oceans. Through the Suez Canal the species entered the Mediterranean Sea. Trying to hold on coastal zone and shallow waters.
Distinctive properties
The average body length is 1.5–1.8 m, and the weight is 45 kg. The body shape is torpedo-shaped and streamlined, the head is slightly flattened. Distinctive feature species - the black end of the first dorsal fin.
The tip of the second dorsal and anal fins may also be black. The upperparts are grayish-brown, the underparts are white.
Lifestyle
Night predator. Prefers to stay in small groups and never forms large flocks.
There are known cases of attacks on people, but without deaths. It can live calmly in fresh or slightly brackish water. These big ones sea predators tied to the same habitats. Average duration life - 30 years.
The predator's diet is based on fish, crustaceans and mollusks.
The main enemies of sharks are toothed whales.
Reproduction
Puberty occurs when body size reaches 95–97 cm. Mating season lasts from November to March. During the courtship period, the male not only actively pursues the female, but also strikes her in the fin area, and the wounds heal completely only after 4–6 weeks. Pregnancy lasts, according to various sources, from 7 to 16 months. Shark is a viviparous fish. At the same time, 2–3 baby sharks 2–4 cm long are born. Cubs are born every two years. Babies grow quickly, adding up to 23 cm annually.
Source

From

Class: cartilaginous fish
order: stingrays
family: rhomboid
genus: diamondback rays
Habitats
sea fox, or spiny stingray, is most common along east coast Atlantic Ocean. The expanses of water from Norway to Namibia are where the world population of these stingrays accumulates. The species is found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, off the coast of South Africa and Madagascar.
What does a sea fox look like?
The female sea fox can reach a length of 120 cm, the male is somewhat smaller - the maximum length of his body is 70 cm. The body shape resembles a rhombus. The upper side of the sea fox's body is covered with numerous spines, it is rough and colored in brownish tones with a pattern of dark and light spots. The long and thin tail is also covered with spines. The underside of the body is light and smooth. Coloring skin variable - it greatly depends on the habitat of the stingray.
Lifestyle and nutrition
The main habitat of the species is the muddy seabed. Stingrays live at depths of 20–300 m and deeper. In summer they come quite close to coastline, and in winter they migrate to the depths.

It feeds on bottom crustaceans, sometimes small fish.
The danger comes from various predatory fish, however, stingrays know how to defend themselves and are perfectly adapted to survive in an aquatic environment.
Reproduction

The sea fox, like other rays, reproduces by oviparity. After mating, the female begins to lay eggs - up to 170 during the year. Each egg is enclosed in a dense protective capsule, which has special processes and threads on the sides, with the help of which the female attaches the eggs to the algae. In the corner of each egg there is a small hole for oxygen, so the fry can breathe. After 5 months, miniature stingrays are born - each no more than 12 cm in length. Once the juvenile reaches 15–17 cm in length, it is capable of hunting independently.
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