Snaggletooth shark
Encyclopedia
The snaggletooth shark, Hemipristis elongatus, is a species
of weasel shark, family
Hemigaleidae
, and the only extant member of the genus
Hemipristis
. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific
, including the Red Sea
, from southeast Africa
to the Philippines
, north to China
, and south to Australia
, at depths of from 1 to 130 m. This shark can be found near the bottom of the water column of coastal areas, but can be found at continental and insular shelves. Its length is up to 3.81 m (12.5 ft) and it can weigh up to about 500 kg
. Despite being only vulnerable to extinction, this is a very rarely seen shark. There is only one confirmed recorded video of this shark
available to the public available here: Rare Footage of Snaggletooth Shark.
's coloration is light grey or bronze with no prominent markings. As its name suggests, it has sharp, serrated teeth on the upper jaw and hooked teeth on the bottom jaw. The shape of its body is fusiform
, allowing it greater speed in the water.
Reproduction is a special kind of viviparity, called placental viviparity. This is when the shark carries its live young in a placental-like structure, complete with umbilical cord
. The placenta structure is derived from the wall of the embryonic yolk sac
that has fused with the uterine wall.
preys on a variety of different animals, including bony fish, other sharks, rays, crabs and cephalopods.
trade in China
, and other Asian countries. The meat is sold for consumption, the liver
used as a source for vitamins and the rest of the carcass is processed into fish meal
.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of weasel shark, family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Hemigaleidae
Hemigaleidae
The weasel sharks are a family, Hemigaleidae, of ground sharks found from the eastern Atlantic Ocean to the continental Indo-Pacific. They are found in shallow coastal waters to a depth of 100 m ....
, and the only extant member of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Hemipristis
Hemipristis
Hemipristis is a genus of weasel shark, family Hemigaleidae. It contains one extant species, the snaggletooth shark , as well as several extinct species.Hemipristis has two distinct type of teeth in each section of its jaw...
. It is found in the Indo-West Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
, including the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, from southeast Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, north to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and south to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, at depths of from 1 to 130 m. This shark can be found near the bottom of the water column of coastal areas, but can be found at continental and insular shelves. Its length is up to 3.81 m (12.5 ft) and it can weigh up to about 500 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
. Despite being only vulnerable to extinction, this is a very rarely seen shark. There is only one confirmed recorded video of this shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
available to the public available here: Rare Footage of Snaggletooth Shark.
Anatomy
The snaggletoothSnaggletooth
Snaggletooth may refer to:*Snaggletooth, a character seen in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.*Snaggletooth A.K.A Warpig, the mascot of the British heavy metal band Motörhead.*Snaggletooth, a tooth that is broken or not in alignment with the others....
's coloration is light grey or bronze with no prominent markings. As its name suggests, it has sharp, serrated teeth on the upper jaw and hooked teeth on the bottom jaw. The shape of its body is fusiform
Fusiform
Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends.* Aneurysms can be classified as saccular or fusiform...
, allowing it greater speed in the water.
Reproduction is a special kind of viviparity, called placental viviparity. This is when the shark carries its live young in a placental-like structure, complete with umbilical cord
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
. The placenta structure is derived from the wall of the embryonic yolk sac
Yolk sac
The yolk sac is a membranous sac attached to an embryo, providing early nourishment in the form of yolk in bony fishes, sharks, reptiles, birds, and primitive mammals...
that has fused with the uterine wall.
Food
The Snaggletooth sharkShark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
preys on a variety of different animals, including bony fish, other sharks, rays, crabs and cephalopods.
Commercial uses
There is a fishery for this shark, where sharks are usually caught by fishing trawlers (a type of fishing boat), or by gill nets. Fins are used in the shark fin soupShark fin soup
Shark fin soup is a popular soup item of Chinese cuisine usually served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets, or as a luxury item in Chinese culture. The shark fins provide texture while the taste comes from the other soup ingredients.There is controversy over the practice of shark...
trade in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and other Asian countries. The meat is sold for consumption, the liver
Liver
The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...
used as a source for vitamins and the rest of the carcass is processed into fish meal
Fish meal
Fish meal, or fishmeal, is a commercial product made from both whole fish and the bones and offal from processed fish. It is a brown powder or cake obtained by rendering pressing the cooked whole fish or fish trimmings to remove most of the fish oil and water, and then ground...
.