Sea fox shark. Fox shark - fighting fox fish
Genus: Alopias Rafinesque = Fox sharks, sea foxes
Species: Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre, 1788) = Common sea fox
Common sea fox = Alopias vulpinus
The common sea fox (Thresher Shark) was first described by Bonnaterre in 1788 as Squalus vulpinis and later the name was changed to its current name: Alopias vulpinus (Bonaterre, 1788). The word Vulpinus is derived from "fox" - vulpes in Latin.
Synonymous names include Squalus vulpes Gmelin 1789, Alopias macrourus Rafinesque 1810, Galeus vulpecula Rafinesque 1810, Alopias caudatus Philipps 1932, Alopas greyi Whitely 1937 and others.
It is also called: Fox shark, Sea fox, Common thresher, Fish shark, Fox shark, Longtail shark, Sea fox, Swingtail, Swiveltail, Thresher, Thresher shark, Whiptail shark
The common sea fox is widespread in all oceans, mainly in temperate and subtropical zones. In the warm season, this shark migrates to the seas temperate zone. In the Atlantic Ocean, for example, in summer it reaches the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Lofoten Islands (Northern Norway).
In the western Atlantic it is found from Newfoundland to Cuba and from southern Brazil to Argentina. In the eastern Atlantic from Norway and the British Isles to Ghana and the Ivory Coast, including the Mediterranean Sea.
In the Indo-Pacific region it is found in the waters South Africa, Tanzania, Somalia, Maldives, Chagos Archipelago, Gulf of Aden, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Sumatra, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and New Caledonia. The shark is also found in the Islands of Oceania, Hawaii, and in the eastern Pacific region - from the coast of British Columbia through central California and Panama south to Chile. 
The common sea fox lives in tropical and temperate waters, and is found both in the open ocean and near the coast. It usually stays in the surface layers of water, sometimes jumping above the surface.
The sea fox prefers cool weather sea water, but can also wander into cold coastal areas. It is capable of diving to depths of up to 350 m if necessary.
The sea fox is a typical pelagic shark. The common sea fox reaches 5-6 m in length. The maximum recorded length is 760 cm. Adult sea foxes weigh between 200-350 kg. Maximum weight is about 450 kg. It has small jaws, but can use its tail to chase and even kill fish. Their caudal keel has a very elongated upper lobe. The pectoral fins are sickle-shaped, narrow and curved. Like other sharks, it has an anal fin, 5 gill slits, 2 dorsal fins without any internal skeleton, the mouth is behind the eyes, and the eyes are without blinking eyelids.
The sea fox has few, blade-like, smooth, curved teeth. There are 20 teeth on both sides of the upper jaw and 21 teeth on both sides of the lower jaw. The teeth from a specimen caught off the Massachusetts coast measured nearly 13 feet in length.
The body of the common sea fox has a brown, gray or black back and a light belly, but there are dark spots near the pelvic fin and the beginning of the tail. The sides of the body are above the base of the pectoral fins with a white patch that extends forward from the ventral region.
Big sharks attack young sea foxes, but adults have no known predators. The common sea fox lives for 20 years or more.
The sea fox's usual food consists of various schooling fish, which it eats in large quantities.
Bony fish make up 97% of the sea fox's diet. Bluefish and butterfish are the most common food. They also feed on mackerel, herring, mackerel and other species.
The teeth are small, but strong and sharp, they are capable of grabbing not only a variety of fish, but also squid, octopus, crab, and even seabird.
In terms of lifestyle, the sea fox is a pelagic, highly migratory species, leading night look life. She - sea view, inhabiting both coastal and ocean water. It is most commonly seen far from shore, although it often cruises close to the coast in search of food. Adults are usually over continental shelf, while young people live in coastal bays and near the water’s edge.
The common sea fox uses its long tail as its main weapon when hunting. Approaching a school of fish, the sea fox begins to circle around it, foaming the water with whip-like blows of the caudal fin. Gradually the circles become smaller and smaller, and the frightened fish gather in an increasingly compact group. It is then that the shark begins to greedily swallow its prey. Sometimes a pair of sea foxes takes part in such a hunt.
In some cases, the sea fox acts with its tail fin as a flail, using it to stun its prey. Such a victim is not always a fish. We observed, in particular, how a shark attacked in this way seabirds sitting on the surface of the water. A precise blow with its tail - and the shark turns around and grabs its unusual prey.
In the stomach of one specimen, about 4 m long, for example, 27 large mackerels were found.
They are very strong swimmers, so they can jump almost entirely out of the water.
Reproduction occurs by ovoviviparity (females do not have a placenta), and the fertility of this shark is very low - the female brings only two to four sharks, albeit very large ones. Their length at birth can reach 1.1 - 1.5 m, and their weight is between 5-6 kg.
The time of birth is confined to the warm summer season. Females give birth to up to 4-6 cubs. Baby sharks (more precisely, shark embryos) hatch from eggs while still inside the female. Developing embryos are ovophages; they will eat smaller, weaker baby sharks while they are in the womb.
On average, young sharks grow 50 cm per year, while adults grow by about 10 cm.
Females become sexually mature at a body length of at least 2.6-3.5 m, males - 3.3 m.
Sea foxes are not aggressive and do not pose a threat to human life, but an attack can be provoked. Sharks are shy and difficult to approach. Divers who encountered these sharks say they were not acting aggressively. There are two known provoked attacks of these sharks on boats with people. The sea fox's large tail can injure divers when attacked.
They have some commercial significance, sometimes being caught in the bycatch of tuna. Sea fox meat and fins are of good commercial quality. Their skin is used for leather, and the fat from their liver can be used to produce a number of vitamins.
The overall abundance of the common sea fox is declining due to depleted fish stocks. Shark abundance in American Atlantic waters has decreased to about 67% of previous abundance.
On the range, status and abundance of the sea fox in the Mediterranean Sea: Common or frequent species. Everywhere in the western part Mediterranean Sea to Sicily; somewhat rarer from southern Tunisia and increasingly sporadic further east to Libya and Egypt. Sicilian and Maltese straits - sometimes local abundance. Cosmopolitan in the Ionian Sea, also on both sides of the Adriatic where the sea fox is found along the northern coasts; the coast of the Balkan Peninsula, the Aegean Sea, Türkiye, the Dodecanese and Cyprus; a rarer species off the coast of Lebanon and Israel.
The fox shark is also known as the sea fox shark, whose Latin name is Alopias vulpinus.
Distinctive feature These sharks have a very long upper lobe of the caudal fin, which is equal to the length of the entire body.
This predator hunts by bursting into a school of fish, right into its middle, waving its tail from side to side, stunning the fish in this way, and then eats them. The back of sharks of this species is colored gray or black, and its belly is light.
According to the method of reproduction, the fox shark is viviparous. These are quite large sharks with a body length reaching 6 meters. Fox sharks are considered dangerous to humans; they often show interest in scuba divers and swimmers. However, there are not many recorded cases of them attacking people.
Reproduction
This shark is also called the "common sea fox" or fox shark. As already mentioned, these sharks are viviparous. At one time, a female shark is capable of giving birth to 1-2 sharks. The cubs that are born are very large - about one and a half meters long. Fox sharks reach sexual maturity when their body grows to approximately 4 meters.
Attitude towards a person
Fox sharks do not pose a great danger to humans, but they show a certain interest in diving divers, spinning around them, but most often without attacking. But there have been recorded cases of these predators attacking boats.
Habitats
The habitat of fox sharks is the coastal waters of California, as well as some areas of the Pacific and Indian oceans. The average size of adult individuals is about 4.7 meters in length and weighs about 360 kilograms. Another distinctive feature of these sharks is their huge eyes, characteristic of species that live in dark places. In addition, there is the pelagic fox shark (Alopias pelagicus), which lives in the Indian and Pacific oceans, as well as off the coast of Western Australia, Taiwan and China, among other countries.
The habitat of this fish is quite wide. In the Atlantic Ocean summer time The fox shark can be found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway.
Nutrition
The main diet of fox sharks consists of fish small sizes and shellfish. Sometimes the largest individuals attack. The meat of fox sharks themselves is suitable for human food because it is not poisonous. Fox sharks have an excellent appetite; for example, 27 large mackerels were found in the stomach of one caught specimen, about 4 meters long. Sea foxes often hunt in pairs.
As already mentioned, in hunting, the fox shark uses its tail, which stuns potential prey. Moreover, fish cannot always play this role. There is evidence of sharks of this species attacking seabirds swimming on the surface of the water with their tails. One precise blow with the tail - and the unwary bird ends up in the shark’s mouth.
Fox shark - most interesting representative ocean depths. This is a large cartilaginous fish whose body shape resembles a torpedo. The genus includes three species of predators. They all have characteristic features body structure and behavior.
What does the name mean?
The genus of sharks received its unusual name due to its long tail, or more precisely, the tip of the caudal fin. The upper segment can account for almost half the entire length of the predator. In addition to its size, the tail has another feature - the elongated lobe of the tail is flexible and movable. The British, having watched the predator hunt, gave it the most accurate name: thresher shark. It literally sounds like “thresher shark.” This is due to the unusual way of hunting.
Unusual hunt
The fox shark does not waste time on trifles: it does not chase individual victims, but prefers an abundant “restaurant” menu. During the hunt, the predator drives the frightened prey into a dense school, crashes into it and begins to “thresh” in different directions long tail. Then he leisurely dines on stunned fish. Considering the size of the predator, one can imagine the power of such a “thresher”. The fishermen who managed to catch the amazing shark complained that the fish, pulled out of its usual environment onto the deck, managed to smash and break with its tail everything it could reach.
Appearance
Since the tail is the most prominent part of this species, descriptions of the predator's appearance almost always begin with it. However, it is worth noting that the fox shark is the most impressive representative of cartilaginous fish. It has an elongated torpedo-shaped body, a wide head and a pointed muzzle. For breathing, the underwater inhabitant has 5 paired gill slits. The two outermost slits are located above pectoral fins. The fins themselves are pointed and long. The fox shark has a small curved mouth with labial grooves. The predator's teeth are small and their edges are smooth.
The anal and dorsal fins, unlike the caudal fin, are small. There are slight differences in fin sizes and colors among different ones.
Taxonomy of species
The sea fox family is divided into 3 species:
- Alopias vulpinus, that is, the common sea fox.
- Alopias superciliosus is a deep fox shark called the big-eyed fox.
- Alopias pelagicus, a species of pelagic (small-toothed) fox.
In 1995, a fish was discovered in the waters of California, which they wanted to designate as a fourth species, but there was no confirmation of this theory, and the fourth species remained unrecognized.
Main differences. Common fox
It has a streamlined body shape with a clear curve of the back. She has a cone-shaped short head with medium-sized eyes that lack a third eyelid. The predator's teeth are small, fang-like, slightly flattened. The average size of sharks is about five meters. At the same time, a maximum was recorded - more than 7 m, and a minimum - less than four.
The shark's body color is heterogeneous. There were individuals of dark brown, blue-gray, and steel color. Some fish had a black back and a light belly.
Deep sea big-eyed fox
Despite the body structure typical of fox sharks, this representative is easily recognized by the size of its eyes. The big-eyed fox shark fully lives up to its name. In some individuals, the diameter of the eye reaches 10 cm. The peculiarity of the location of the organ in the orbit allows the predator to see not only in front and to the sides, but also to view the space above its head.
Another one distinguishing feature type - special lateral grooves. They are formed at the junction of the body and the head, passing over the gill slits and eye sockets.
The teeth of the bigeye fox shark are larger than those of other species. They have one apex and are the same size on the upper and lower jaws.
The body color is brownish-violet, the belly is always lighter than the back. The dorsal fin is shifted towards the tail.
Pelagic fox
The color is dark: most often these are various shades of blue and gray colors. The shark's belly is much lighter.
The species has well-developed pectoral, caudal and dorsal fins. But at the same time, the second dorsal and anal fin are very small. The elongated lobe of the tail is narrower than in other species.
Habitat and diet
The fox shark has a wide range. It is found in the tropics and temperate latitudes. The pelagic species is characterized by an existence remote from coastlines. This species lives in surface layers and at depths up to 150 m.
The big-eyed fox prefers more serious depth. She is comfortable 500 m below the surface.
They love the coastal zone, but feel good far from land. This species prefers surface layers, but can dive up to 500 meters.
Fox sharks don't attack too much big catch, since the basis of their diet is schooling fish. We have already talked about the hunting habits of this genus, but this does not mean that predators cannot make exceptions. In the absence of schools of fish, the diet of the fox shark can include any living creature. The person, most likely, will simply be stunned by the tail - the shark will not dare to dine on such an unpredictable enemy.
frilled shark
The frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) is the only deep-sea shark in its family. Maximum length - 2 m. Bears offspring for about three and a half years.
Frilled shark - rare and unusual look sharks The maximum length is no more than two meters. The shark's body is serpentine. The anal, dorsal and two pelvic fins are located closer to the tail. Which makes it look more like an eel than a shark. She hunts according to the same principle as a snake. First it bends and quickly straightens in a jerk. And these are not all of its unique differences. Up to three dozen rows of small and very sharp teeth will not let the victim out. Even if she manages to escape, she will receive numerous lacerations. The frilled shark hunts small cephalopods and small sharks. This shark, unlike its relatives, does not tear the victim into pieces, but swallows it whole. Capable of swallowing fish half the length of its body. It lives at a depth of up to 1.5 thousand meters, but most often it can be found at a depth of about 200 meters.
The frilled shark got its name from the skin folds near the head, of which there are 6 on each side. They were formed by gill fibers, which cover the gills. A shark can cover its gills to create pressure inside its mouth, which helps it swallow food. Average length these sharks are about one and a half meters. The largest specimen known to science reached a length of 2 meters.
Pregnancy of the frilled shark lasts 3.5 years. This is the longest pregnancy of all. known to science vertebrates. In one month, the embryo grows on average 1–1.5 cm. At three months, the embryo has a fully formed jaw, fins and external gills, but it will remain in the womb for more than 3 years. Newborns are about 50 cm long. The frilled shark gives birth to an average of 10–15 pups.
The frilled shark has no special value for humans, unlike others sea creatures. But it often gets caught in fishermen's nets and is eaten. This shark is considered rare species due to its small numbers. The deep-sea habitat does not save the species either.
Source
From
Pelagic largemouth shark
The pelagic largemouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is the only species known to science today from the genus Megachasm. In addition, this is one of three species of sharks whose diet includes plankton.
Science knows only three species of sharks that feed on plankton: the giant whale shark and the pelagic largemouth shark. The pelagic largemouth shark lives at different depths from 50 to 1,600 m. The species was discovered in 1976. Until now, it is the only specimen of the family. According to 2014 data, only 60 individuals of this species were found. Habitat: Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
The largest individual of the species was a female pelagic largemouth shark. Its length was 5.7 m. It was caught in fishing nets off the coast of Japan. Although the female was released, she later washed ashore dead. Little is known about the life of these sharks. Judging by the structure of the teeth, which are quite small, awl-shaped, and the study of the stomach of dead individuals, these sharks are filterers. Their diet includes krill and other small ocean inhabitants.
Since the body of this shark is quite weak, it leads a passive lifestyle. For hunting plankton, it has its own secrets. When the mouth opens, the upper jaw moves forward. Thus, opening the silvery rim of the mouth, which is a bait for plankton.
Source
From
Class: cartilaginous fish
order: Carchariformes
family: gray sharks
genus: gray sharks
Habitats
The gray reef shark is found almost throughout the Pacific and Indian oceans, adhering to coral reefs, strong currents and depths of up to 280 m.
Distinctive properties
The average body length usually reaches 1.9–2 m, males are slightly larger than females. The maximum weight of a gray shark caught is 33.7 kg. Color - various shades of gray, sometimes brownish and even bronze. The shark's body is shaped like a torpedo.
Lifestyle
This is an intelligent, cunning and fast animal with a phenomenal sense of smell and high-speed reaction, showing great interest in everything that moves. Gray sharks are active throughout the day, hunting mainly at night, gathering in small schools of 5 to 20 individuals. Lives up to 25 years.
Reproduction
During the mating season, gray reef sharks protect an individual area from other individuals of their species, the area of which is about 4 km2. When a competitor appears, the animal first demonstrates dissatisfaction by making sharp swings of its tail and distinctly arching its back. The gray reef shark is a viviparous species. Once a year, a female gives birth to 1–6 cubs.
Food and enemies
The main prey is fish, mollusks and crustaceans, the favorite is octopuses and other cephalopods. Natural enemies Hardly ever. Only angry individuals of their own species or humans pose a danger.
Source
From
Class: cartilaginous fish
order: Carchariformes
family: gray sharks
genus: gray sharks
The Malagasy night shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) lives in the tropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Through the Suez Canal the species entered the Mediterranean Sea. Tries to stay in the coastal zone and shallow waters.
Distinctive properties
The average body length is 1.5–1.8 m, and the weight is 45 kg. The body shape is torpedo-shaped and streamlined, the head is slightly flattened. Distinctive feature species - the black end of the first dorsal fin.
The tip of the second dorsal and anal fins may also be black. Top part the body is grayish-brown, the underparts are white.
Lifestyle
Night predator. Prefers to stay in small groups and never forms large flocks.
There are known cases of attacks on people, but without deaths. Can exist quietly in fresh or slightly brackish water. These big ones sea predators tied to the same habitats. Average life expectancy is 30 years.
The predator's diet is based on fish, crustaceans and mollusks.
The main enemies of sharks are toothed whales.
Reproduction
Puberty occurs when body size reaches 95–97 cm. Mating season lasts from November to March. During the courtship period, the male not only actively pursues the female, but also strikes her in the fin area, and the wounds heal completely only after 4–6 weeks. Pregnancy lasts, according to various sources, from 7 to 16 months. Shark is a viviparous fish. At the same time, 2–3 baby sharks 2–4 cm long are born. Cubs are born every two years. Babies grow quickly, adding up to 23 cm annually.
Source
From
Class: cartilaginous fish
order: stingrays
family: rhomboid
genus: diamondback rays
Habitats
The sea fox, or spiny ray, is most common along the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean. The expanses of water from Norway to Namibia are where the world population of these stingrays accumulates. The species is found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, off the coast of South Africa and Madagascar.
What does a sea fox look like?
The female sea fox can reach a length of 120 cm, the male is somewhat smaller - the maximum length of his body is 70 cm. The body shape resembles a rhombus. The upper side of the sea fox's body is covered with numerous spines, it is rough and colored in brownish tones with a pattern of dark and light spots. The long and thin tail is also covered with spines. The underside of the body is light and smooth. Coloring skin variable - it greatly depends on the habitat of the stingray.
Lifestyle and nutrition
The main habitat of the species is the muddy seabed. Stingrays live at depths of 20–300 m and deeper. In summer they come quite close to the coastline, and in winter they migrate to the depths.
It feeds on bottom crustaceans, sometimes small fish.
The danger comes from various predatory fish, however, stingrays know how to defend themselves and are perfectly adapted to survive in an aquatic environment.
Reproduction
The sea fox, like other rays, reproduces by oviparity. After mating, the female begins to lay eggs - up to 170 within a year. Each egg is enclosed in a dense protective capsule, which has special processes and threads on the sides, with the help of which the female attaches the eggs to the algae. In the corner of each egg there is a small hole for oxygen, so the fry can breathe. After 5 months, miniature stingrays are born - each no more than 12 cm in length. Once the juvenile reaches 15–17 cm in length, it is capable of hunting independently.
Source
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Fox shark(second name “sea fox”, Latin name “Alopias vulpinus”) is a species sea sharks, which belongs to the Fox shark family, order Lamniformes.
Signs
Sea foxes are large sharks with an average body length of 3 meters; specimens up to 5 meters long are known. The upper part of the body is dark gray-blue, the belly is white. The average weight of fox sharks is 300 kilograms (maximum weight is 500 kilograms).
Distinctive sign sea foxes are their caudal fin, the upper blade of which is incredibly large, sometimes exceeding the length of the body of the fish itself. This tail is necessary for fish to hunt. Ichthyologists claim that the sea fox is capable of stunning schools of fish and even birds and small birds with its tail ladle. marine mammals. In search of food, the shark rises to the surface of the water and, seeing potential food, strikes the sea surface with its tail fin.
Habitat
Fox sharks inhabit the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They prefer to stay in tropical waters, but often swim into waters of temperate latitudes.
Danger!!!
This type of shark does not pose a great danger to humans. However, cases of attacks by these sharks on people have been described. Sea foxes usually hunt collectively, that is, they gather in groups of 3-5 individuals and surround schools of fish, drown them with their tails, and then all together rush to the center of the fish cluster. It is during moments of collective hunting that fox sharks are most dangerous. During the chase, they rush after any moving object in the water.
