Slit eye shark
| Slit eye shark | ||||||||||||
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Slot-eye shark ( Loxodon macrorhinus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Loxodon | ||||||||||||
| Müller & Henle , 1838 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Loxodon macrorhinus | ||||||||||||
| Müller & Henle , 1838 |
The slot- eyed shark ( Loxodon macrorhinus ) is the only species in the genus Loxodon within the Requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae). The species is distributed in large parts of the Indian Ocean from South Africa to India, in the Red Sea and in the West Pacific from Japan via China and the Philippines to northern Australia .
Appearance and characteristics
The slot-eyed shark is a small and very slender shark with a maximum body length of 90 cm and average lengths between 60 and 80 centimeters. He has a gray-brown body color and a whitish belly region without pattern. Its habitus resembles the blue sharks of the genus Carcharhinus . It is named after the large eyes, which have a clear notch on the rear edge. It has an anal fin and two dorsal fins , the second dorsal fin being significantly smaller than the first and the anal fins. They are also characterized by a long snout, five gill slits and teeth in both jaws with sloping and sawn edges. In addition, they do not have a spray hole either .
Way of life
The slot-eyed shark is a shallow-water species and probably feeds predatory on various fish on the shore zones. The sharks are viviparous and form a yolk sac placenta ( placental viviparous ). The females get between 2 and 4 young animals with a length of about 40 cm in one litter. Males reach sexual maturity with about 65 and females with about 80 cm body length.
distribution
The species is distributed in large parts of the Indian Ocean from South Africa to India, in the Red Sea and in the West Pacific from Japan via China and the Philippines to northern Australia . It occurs only in the coastal areas and the corresponding shallow water zones from 7 to 80 meters water depth.
literature
- Kuno Sch. Steuben : The sharks of the seven seas: species, way of life and sporting catch. Parey, Berlin 1989; Page 58. ISBN 3-490-44314-4
Web links
- Slot-eyed shark on Fishbase.org (English)
- Species portrait on hai.ch
- Loxodon macrorhinus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Published by: Simpfendorfer, CA & Stevens, J. (SSG Australia & Oceania Regional Workshop, March 2003), 2003. Retrieved December 5, 2013.