You can often hear that sharks live in our seas. What are they and are there a danger to humans? In the Black Sea, for example, a katran, or cat shark, lives. Today we will talk about her. The fact that this is a predator is evidenced by her small teeth, of which there are a lot of sharks in her mouth. But the modest size of the fish assures us: the katran does not pose a threat to human life. And can he grab a finger, smelling the blood? We will talk about this in our article. All about the large cat-shark family read below. After all, the Black Sea Katran has close relatives. For example, scyllium. This cat shark also swims in the Black Sea through the Bosphorus. But usually it winters in warmer areas.
Shark classification
Of all the karhariforodnyh fish, a rather extensive family of selakhi is distinguished. Scientists divide this group into three subclasses. The first is striped feline sharks. It includes eight species. There is also a false cat shark. Scientists know only one species. And finally, the largest family of real cat sharks. These are fifteen genera, which are divided into almost one hundred and thirty species. It’s not easy to figure out such an abundance. Moreover, a cat shark is also called a "sea dog" - because of the muzzle, which is vaguely reminiscent of a dog. This large family of predatory fish is very different from each other. There are live-bearing species, and there are also those that lay eggs in a hard shell - like chickens. According to the diet, cat sharks also do not adhere to unity. Most species prey on small fish, but there are also those who prefer benthic fauna - crustaceans, mollusks, and worms. Different color, size, habitat, shape of the teeth - what makes these predators related? Probably a resemblance to a cat.
Why are they called that?
In principle, only the katran has a middle name - “sea dog”. All other fish of this species resemble land cats in body shape. They have a long, flexible and graceful torso. A flattened head resembles a cat's. Only ears and mustaches are gone. Yes, and their habits, as well as pussies. In the afternoon they prefer to doze off. Unless some careless fish swims right in front of his nose ... Then the cat shark, gluttonous, like all 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 not helped by orientation in the dark, but by photosensitive sensors. They are located near the eyes. Using these sensors, the predator senses the presence of other living things - fish or crustaceans. There is an opinion that a cat shark has a vertical pupil. However, this is true only for certain species. Light focuses on these palpebral fissures, allowing the predator to see well at dusk. And this makes fish even more related to our furry favorites.
Cat Shark: some species. Katran
As noted above, the Selah family is very numerous. We will describe here only a few types. Let's start with our domestic ones. Katran is a cat shark that lives in the Black Sea. She has other names. First of all, it is a sea dog, as well as a nogger and a prickly shark. The fish earned these last names because sharp spikes cover its entire body. You can get hurt about them. And the katrana is called a sea dog because of the 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 is a gluttonous little shark that rarely reaches one meter in length. Although there are instances of two. However, the katran eats exclusively hamsa. His mouth is curved, sickle-shaped, like all sharks. It is full of small teeth that grow in rows. In the warm season, the katran keeps close to the coast, and in winter goes to the depths. The female of this shark gives birth to up to fifteen live cubs.
Common cat shark
A photo of this fish allows you to compare it with the colorful inhabitants of coral reefs. However, the habitat of an ordinary cat shark reaches the tropical latitudes only by the southern edge. This species is found in the Atlantic Ocean - from Norway to Morocco. Sometimes, in the summer, an ordinary cat shark enters our Black Sea. The color of this small fish, up to a meter long, is very colorful. If we compare this representative of Selahiy with a cat, then we can say that her suit is a spotted tabby. The shark feeds on benthic crustaceans and mollusks. The female lays two to twenty eggs in a hard shell. They cling to stones or algae with two angular horn threads. The fry develop approximately the same time as the human embryo - nine months. Katran and the ordinary cat shark are of gastronomic interest to humans. There is no commercial fishing for them, but the Black Sea fishermen make a delicious balyk from these species.
Australian coral
This cat shark, whose photo is quite exotic, makes it a frequent inhabitant of aquariums. In captivity, she takes root well. Small, up to 60 centimeters, the shark eats crustaceans and a tiny fish that lives on the Great Coral Reef off the coast of Australia. But this species is also found in shallow water, in rocky or sandy soils. There she leads a benthic lifestyle. The fish reproduces by egg laying. The color of this shark is variegated, like most coral inhabitants. But the eyes are big and dark.
California shark
As the name implies, this species lives in the Pacific Ocean - off the coast of Mexico and the southern borders of the United States. The cat shark has a striped color, in addition, there are 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 her huge mouth, she can swallow rather large prey. It feeds mainly on fish. I wonder how the California cat shark reacts to danger. She swallows a large amount of air, causing it to swell like a ball. The suddenly increased size of the fish and especially the spikes on the body prevent the predator from swallowing it. After the danger has passed, such sharks float on the surface of the water, like balls, until they deflate.
Deep sea species
Typically, these fish live in shallow water, although they lead a benthic lifestyle. But there are also species that are found at a depth of more than six hundred meters. For example, a black cat shark due to water pressure has a flattened muzzle, similar to a shovel. The color of these fish is adapted for hunting in 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. These species, due to their habitat, are poorly understood. 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.