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| More About Sharks | Sandtiger (Sand) Shark |
Animal Printouts Label Me! Printouts |
Anatomy: The Sandtiger shark is a predator up to 10.4 feet (3.2 m) long. The Sandtiger has a flattened snout and a stocky body. The skin is brown to gray skin with dark spots on the upper part of its body (the belly is countershaded). This shark can swallow air in its stomach and hold it there, enabling the shark to remain motionless in the water (this gives the shark neutral buoyancy, simulating the swim bladder of bony fish). This shark is generally nocturnal (most active at night).
Teeth and Diet: The Sandtiger shark eats fish. It catches fish using the long, sharp, teeth in the front of its mouth (each of these teeth has one large point in the middle and a smaller point on each side). The teeth in the back of the mouth are smaller.
Reproduction: The Sandtiger shark gives birth to only two live young in each litter (this is due to cannibalism before birth). After a gestation period of 9 to 12 months, two pups are born, one from each uterus (the shark has two). Although many eggs hatch in each uterus, the largest/strongest shark in each uterus eats the others, so only one pup survives in each uterus. The newborn pups are roughly 3 feet (1 m) long and weigh about 13 pounds (6 kg).
Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Chondrichthyes, Order Lamniformes, Family Odontaspididae/Carchariidae, Genus Eugomphodum/Carcharias/Odontaspis, Species taurus. (Note: people disagree on the classification of this shark.)
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