Shark Cat

Lime shark diet

As we have mentioned many times in this one, the sea is something that does not stop surprising us. We can find marine species so unique that we would never think they could exist. This is the case of the cat shark. Although it is not a species that stands out for being large, it can give us a great impression to see it. Its scientific name is Scyliorhinus retifer and belongs to the Carcharhiniformes shark family.

We are going to tell you all the secrets and characteristics of the cat shark.

Key features

Cat shark in the deep

In the cat shark family we can find approximately some 150 species spread throughout the tropical areas of the world. It is also known by the colloquial name of dogfish or limes.

This name is given due to the similarity that the snout of its eyes has with that of this feline. It has an elongated and fine body that does not have scales and with a texture similar to that of sandpaper. This is where the common name lime comes from. It only has two dorsal fins, making it a unique species of shark. His head has a somewhat particular shape. It has different qualities that it looks like a trunk and resembles the holes in a nose.

The set of cat sharks stands out for being those that have a pattern on their skin. Unlike having a single grayish color typical of the shark, we can find different types of skins in this shark with patterns such as stripes, spots or polka dots of different colors such as yellow or orange.

It is not a species of shark that has a large size although they exist some that can measure up to 4 meters. The normal thing is that they get to measure 1.20 meters. Its jaw is quite strong as it has curved teeth and somewhat small in size. It uses them mainly to eat mollusks, sometimes smaller and some animals such as crabs.

Cat shark habitat and range

Cat shark characteristics

This shark adapts to practically any type of temperate or tropical water, which makes its worldwide distribution quite wide. There are different species depending on the area where we are. There are also some that are adapted close to the continents of Asia, Africa and America.

Cat sharks are quite shy so meeting them in person can be a bit difficult. Its size and dimensions make it not easy to capture, which is why it becomes a rather elusive species. Regarding its natural ecosystem, some species of this family they prefer to swim in the depths reaching up to 100 meters. However, there are others who prefer shallower waters.

It prefers tropical and temperate waters since there are foods that provide it with enough nutrients to develop and reproduce. We can find cat shark specimens in the Atlantic Ocean, especially in the deepest area between Norway and the Ivory Coast. To be able to hunt these animals and they took pictures, you have to be very meticulous since they are barely visible. They have a rather shy demeanor and, added to their small size, it is quite difficult to capture.

It can swim in depths of up to 2000 meters.

Food

Shark Cat

This shark feeds mainly on a diet of small invertebrate animals found in the depths of the sea. Its diet is carnivorous and it needs a large amount of meat. It can also infer, although in less quantity, some with spaces for the simple fact of being able to incorporate some of the nutrients it needs to be able to develop in conditions.

According to expert marine biologists in charge of studying what sharks eat, they say that this shark preys on other smaller fish due to its physical size. This is the main variable that prevents it from being able to hunt other larger prey. On the contrary, it does not mean that their diet is scarce since there is a great variety de peces smaller and invertebrates in the areas where these sharks live. This is one of the main reasons why this animal does not usually change areas unless it is strictly necessary due to lack of food.

Reproduction of the cat shark

This shark has their oviparous type reproduction. This consists of placing the eggs in a safe area and once the small sharks hatch, they become independent from their parents. Normally it is the male who is in charge of protecting the eggs until they hatch. We can find some specimens of these sharks in shallow areas that are younger. For example, some breeding sharks have been sighted in mangroves or reefs.

The capacity of being able to double or triple your size if you feel threatened It is one of the most amazing features and quite an interesting survival mechanism. When he feels intimidated is when he is able to triple his size to get out of trouble. This is achieved through a mechanism that has all the genus of this shark which allows its entire stomach to take large mouthfuls of water to increase its overall size.

Differences between dogfish and cat shark

To differentiate two species that are very similar, such as the dogfish and the cat shark, it is necessary to know part of their external characteristics. Let's see the main differences:

  • The cat shark has just a lethal anal that serves to give him a greater profusion. Dogfish don't have it.
  • This shark does not have any type of spine in the dorsal fins and the dogfish does.
  • This dogfish has a characteristic dull gray color that differentiates it from the striking colors that this shark has. In addition, we have mentioned that they can have brightly colored spots and moles.
  • The cat shark has a much thinner body and with dorsal fins that start from the pelvic fins. Secondly, dogfish have the dorsal fins located above the pelvic fins. This makes its body much shorter in size.

I hope that with this information you can learn more about the cat shark.


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