Carcharias


Carcharias is a genus of sand tiger sharks belonging to the family Odontaspididae.

Description

Carcharias are 2.5m
long on average. The maximum weight of the shark is 158.8 kg.
Differentiating species of sharks is usually done by locating and measuring their fins. The second dorsal fin and the anal fin of Carcharias are very large. In fact, they are about equal in size. The pectoral fins are triangular and only slightly larger than the dorsal fins. The teeth are very long and narrow with sharp points. The teeth are smooth with no ridges. The tail is one third of the entire body size.

Diet

Carcharias species hunt bony fish, small sharks, rays, squids, crabs, and lobsters.

Habitat

Sand tiger sharks live in water depths ranging from 0 to 190 meters. They are found in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. They are commonly found in surf zones.

Extant Species

Extinct species within this genus lived from the Cretaceous period to the Quaternary period. Fossils have been found all over the world, especially in the Miocene and Oligocene sediments of Europe, the United States and Australia, in the Eocene of Egypt, Europe and the United States, as well as in the Cretaceous of Australia, Canada, the United States, Europe and Africa. Extinct species include:
, Paleogene

Cretaceous specieshttp://www.elasmo.com/frameMe.html?file=genera/cenozoic/sharks/sylvestrilamia.html&menu=bin/menu_genera-alt.html Carcharias RAFINESQUE 1810 Sand tiger - [Lower Cretaceous - Recent Accessed 2008/07/07]