The seas and oceans of our planet are filled with a variety of living things, whose life is hidden from us under the water. One of the representatives of this animal kingdom is the Katraiform squad and its members: the cigar Isistiuslabialis (Brazilian) and Isistiusplutodus (South China) sharks. Both species are from the genus Isistius, representatives of which proved themselves to be tough, predatory, sadistic manners of hunting for prey.
Externally, representatives of the genus are very similar to each other, only a large-toothed shark stands out among them, differing in a lower jaw studded with large, sharp teeth. Her body emits a greenish light in the dark and has the shape of a cigar, hence the name - cigar shark. A photo of a luminous fish with large eyes can be seen below. This shark is clearly associated with the Cuban cigar.
Habitat
This shark considers the warm waters of all oceans its hunting estates. Fish does not live only in the waters of the northern coasts. Deep-water bathyscaphes recorded predators at a depth of over 3,000 meters, noting their constant movement at night to the surface of the water. With the onset of the day, the cigar shark descended to a depth, overcoming a distance of 3 kilometers.
Fishing vessels caught predators in the deep waters of Africa, Brazil, Australia, the Hawaiian Islands and Tasmania.
Appearance
With a discreet appearance and a length not exceeding 60 cm, the cigar shark is able to boast of the presence of teeth such as not even a large white one has.
This fish has its own characteristics:
- elongated cigar-like body;
- on the rounded head, two eyes are almond-shaped, which can emit green light, which makes the representative of the sea open spaces an active hunter;
- discreet dark brown color, allowing the predator to merge with the color of the water;
- the body’s ability to shine with green light is most likely intended to lure potential prey;
- predators with a closed mouth wash their gills and breathe, remaining in a state of immobility; this ability is necessary for them to hunt;
- as the main weapon, the cigar shark uses unique teeth located on the lower jaw: they have the appearance of a saw-shaped device with triangular tops that are slightly inclined; the teeth of the upper row are much smaller in size than the lower ones.
Powerful jaw holder
A big-tooth cigar shark is considered the owner of the most powerful jaw. Using the buccal pump and lips, she sticks to the victim and, digging into her tissue, gnaws pieces of flesh, while spinning around herself. Pieces of flesh of large fish, marine animals are gnawed by a predator from the body of prey. After such an attack, terrible, long-healing wounds with round outlines remain on the body of large sea inhabitants. Such marks have been found more than once in cetaceans and dolphins. If a flock takes part in the attack, then the victim, as a rule, is doomed to death.
Hunting tactics
The ability to inflate the cheeks and close the gills of the gills makes it possible to create a vacuum in the oral cavity, which allows you to firmly cling to the body of the prey, gradually biting into its flesh. If the victim has been captured, the cigar shark will not release its grip under any circumstances. This fish is a good hunter, so prey does not escape from its sharp teeth.
Sneaking up on a potential victim of much larger sizes (whale, stingray, large fish, dolphin), she quickly sticks to her body, sticking her upper teeth into it. As soon as the capture took place, the cigar shark activates the lower jaw, gnaws a piece of meat and quickly swims away. The duration of all the manipulations takes only a few seconds, the victim does not even have time to come to his senses, as remains with the wound. Experts agree that from 70 to 80% of the wounds on the body of the animals were left by a large-toothed sadist.
Breeding
Propagation in fish occurs through gestation in the body of the embryo. Young offspring are born by already formed sharks that are up to 15 cm in size. One female carries up to 12 cubs at a time. From the first days of life, born offspring can feed themselves. Of course, not all small individuals survive, someone becomes the prey of predators, but those who survived continue their hunt, earning their own food by gnawing pieces of meat from other marine inhabitants.
Interesting Facts
There are cases when a cigar shark predator attacked diving enthusiasts.
In 2009, a bite was recorded in Hawaii, and swimmer Michael Spalding was attacked.
The media wrote about repeated bites of fish received by shipwrecked people.
The cigar shark does not disdain with insulating wires of underwater bathyscaphes, easily gnawing them and rubber sheathing.
In 2012, there was a case when in the waters of the Pacific Ocean toothy fish bit through an inflatable gondola of sailors who circumnavigated the world. The incident ended safely, the ship was repaired, and the expedition continued.
Toothy representatives are so common in the waters of the seas and oceans that the Union for the Protection of Nature did not consider it necessary to add this species to the list of those in need of protection.
Shark is not popular in humans. It is not caught or used in the fishing industry.
Representatives of the species have the ability to grow lost teeth. Therefore, it is almost impossible to count how many times during the life period new devices for hunting appear. The loss of one “instrument” does not affect the result of the hunt in any way, the teeth of the shark, located in rows, give it the opportunity to capture prey as tenaciously. Within two days, a new "dagger" grows.
As a rule, representatives of Isistius hunt, grouping themselves in small flocks, floating at night to the surface of the water.
In shallow water, shallows it is impossible to meet a flock of hunters. Therefore, it does not pose a threat to vacationers involved in water sports.
Sharks have been living in the water elements of our planet for 40 million years. And today, their habits surprise and frighten people. The duration of their life cycle reaches 20-30 years.
According to Japanese mythology, sharks take the souls of sinners into the abyss.