Carcharias


Carcharias, also known as sand tiger sharks, is a genus of mackerel sharks belonging to the family Carchariidae, of which it is the only extant member. Once bearing many prehistoric species, all have gone extinct with the exception of the critically endangered sand tiger shark.

Description

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

Diet

Carcharias species are generalist predators that hunt bony fish, small sharks, rays, squids, crabs and lobsters.

Habitat

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

Species

With the Ancient Greek name καρχαρίας literally translating to "shark", many extant species were placed into this genus before being moved to different genera and orders.

Extant species

Based on Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes:
  • Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810

    Species previously described in this genus

  • Carcharias acutidens Rüppell, 1837
  • Carcharias borneensis Seale, 1910
  • Carcharias brachyrhynchos Bleeker, 1859
  • Carcharias brevipinna Müller & Henle, 1839
  • Carcharias falciformis Müller & Henle, 1839
  • Carcharias fronto Jordan & Gilbert, 1882
  • Carcharias hemiodon Müller & Henle, 1839
  • Carcharias sealei Pietschmann, 1913

    Extinct 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. Species from the fossil record include:
File: Odontaspididae - Carcharias tingitana.JPG| thumb|240px|Fossil teeth of Carcharias tingitana from Morocco, Paleogene

Cretaceous species

  • Carcharias tenuiplicatus
  • Carcharias holmdelensis Maastrichtian
  • Carcharias samhammeri Late Cretaceous
  • Carcharias heathi Late Cretaceous

    Paleogene species

  • Carcharias acutissima - Late Eocene
  • Carcharias atlasi
  • Carcharias hopei - Late Palaeocene - Eocene
  • Carcharias koerti
  • Carcharias robusta? - Early Eocene
  • Carcharias teretidens - maybe placed into its own genus as Sylvestrilamia teretidens
  • Carcharias teretidens, - Late Palaeocene - Eocene
  • Carcharias tingitana
  • Carcharias vincenti
  • Carcharias whitei - Paleocene

    Neogene

  • Carcharias acutissima, Oligocene - Pliocene
  • Carcharias reticulata, Oligocene - Miocene
  • Carcharias cuspidata, Oligocene - Miocene
  • Carcharias taurus Rafinesque, 1810, Pliocene - Present
  • Carcharias cuspidata, Pliocene - Miocene
  • Carcharias sp. - unidentified but maybe similar to the Carcharias contortidens as described by Agassiz in 1843, from the Miocene.
  • Carcharias reticulata maybe classified as Odontaspis acutissma from the Miocene.