1. Odontaspididae Sand Tiger Sharks Greek: odous = tooth/teeth, aspidos = wide shield

2. Diagnostic Features Moderately stout Head shorter than trunk Gill openings moderately large but does not extend to surface of the head Gills anterior to pectoral origin Grow up to 3.6 m No gillrakers Large teeth First dorsal large Second dorsal and anals almost as large as first Caudal: upper lobe long, lower lobe short but strong, precaudal pit

3. Teeth Structure Front teeth narrow, sharp, and pointy Side teeth compressed and blade-like Less than 60 rows in either jaw

4. Habitat and Distribution Tropical to Cool-temperate Inshore and Deepwater EVERYWHERE Surf-zone to Outer shelf Down slopes up to 1600 m

5. Reproduction Ovoviviparous Non yolk-sac placenta Intrauterine cannibalism Only two pups birthed every two years Gestation: 9 months Carcharius taurus embryo

6. Food Teleosts Smaller sharks Rays Squid Bottom crustaceans

7. Genera Eugomphodus/Carcharias Odontaspis

8. Eugomphodus/Carcharias Small eyes Short, flattened snout Back teeth differentiated from side teeth, molariform Second dorsal as large as first First dorsal base closer to pelvic bases Anal fin as large or larger than dorsals Carcharias taurus, C. tricuspidatus

9. Red-list: –C. taurus: vunerable –C. tricuspidatus: data deficient Human Interaction –Regularly caught in fisheries –Eaten in Japan, Pacific, and Britain –Fishmeal, liver oil, meat market, sharkfin soup

10. Odontaspis Moderate sized eyes Long and conical snout Back teeth grade into side teeth, not molariform Second dorsal half size of first First dorsal base closer to pectoral bases Anal smaller than second dorsal Odontaspis ferox, O. noronhai

11. Red-list: –O. ferox: vulnerable –O. noronhai: data deficient Human Interaction –No regular interaction –Eaten if caught

12. Compagno, L. J. V. 1984. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 1. Hexanchiformes to Lamniformes. FAO Fisheries Synopsis 125: 1–249. Dicken, M. L., Booth, A. J., Smale, M. J., and Cliff, G. (2007). Spatial and seasonal distribution patterns of juvenile and adult raggedtooth sharks (Carcharias taurus) tagged off the east coast of South Africa. Marine and Freshwater Research 58: 127–134. Fergusson, I. K., Graham, K. J., and Compagno, L. V. J. (2006). Distribution, abundance and biology of the smalltooth sandtiger shark Odontaspis ferox. Environmental Biology of Fishes. Graham,K. J., Andrew,N. L. and Hodgson,K. E. (2001). Changes in relative abundance of sharks and rays on Australian South East Fishery trawl grounds after twenty years of fishing. Marine and Freshwater Research 52: 549–561. Lucifora, L. O., Menni, R. C., and Escalante, A. H. (2002). Reproductive ecology and abundance of the sand tiger shark, Carcharias taurus, from the southwestern Atlantic. ICES Journal of Marine Science 59: 553–561. Preziosi, Gridelli, Borghetti, Diana, Parmeggiani, Fioravanti, Marcer, Bianchi, Walsh, Berzins (2006). Spinal deformity in a sandtiger shark, Carcharias taurus: a clinical-pathological study. Journal of Fish Diseases 29: 49–60. Shimada, K. (2002). Teeth of Embryos in Lamniform Sharks. Environmental Biology of Fishes 63: 309-319.