Sand Sharks
Sand Sharks are known by several different names, including Sand Tiger Shark and Gray Nurse Shark. They look very scary because they swim with their mouths open so that you can see all of their very sharp teeth, which look like they are all protruding in different directions. The Sand Shark was once thought to be dangerous, but now is on the list of sharks known to be harmless to humans.
The Sand Shark can be found around shorelines and coastal areas because this is where they feed. They like warm or temperate waters and they make their home in all the oceans of the world. Sand Sharks are a brownish-gray in color with a white stomach. Their upper body has spots that are rust-colored. They grow to be anywhere from six to ten feet long and weigh between two hundred and three-hundred-fifty pounds. They were named Sand Sharks because they are most often seen hunting for food on the ocean bottom in the shallow water of bays and estuaries.
Sand Sharks are carnivores and eat smaller fish, squid, smaller sharks, rays and crustaceans. They are considered voracious predators and have been seen attacking large nets full of fish. They are also the only shark that comes above water to take in air which is stored in their stomachs to keep them buoyant. This gulping at the surface is what allows them to be able to lie motionless in the water.
Most Sand Sharks are thought to live to be around fifteen years of age. They are caught for food and cultural medicinal purposes. They are noted as “threatened” or “vulnerable” on lists of endangered sharks. That is not because they are being fished or destroyed at an alarming rate but because of their slow rate of reproduction. Sand Sharks only breed every two years and only have two pups.
The female gestation period is from nine to twelve months. One of most interesting facts about Sand Shark reproduction is that the female has a large number of eggs but only produces two pups in each litter. That is because the first two pups to hatch are nourished by eating the other eggs. When the mother gives birth to the two surviving pups, they are already are around three feet long.
Sand Sharks are commonly seen on the Eastern Coast of the United States. They are one of the easier sharks to recognize. They have a very long snout that is both narrow and flat. Their dorsal fins and anal fin look to be much the same size. There is a notch in the upper lobe of their tail fin, and the upper part is longer than the bottom part. This shark is very popular in aquariums because even though in reality they are non-threatening, the shape of their head and the huge mouthful of teeth makes them look quite vicious.