Katran - Black Sea shark

Meeting a shark in the Black Sea is not at all a bright prospect. sea ​​predator instills a terrible fear in children and adults. It turns out that the Katran shark is completely safe for humans.

Katran - graceful sea ​​creature. Among the dense thickets, she moves easily and gracefully. She is non-aggressive and never attacks people. It can be found in the Black, Azov and Baltic Seas, on Far East and in northern waters.

Short description

Katran is a small shark. The length of her body does not exceed 120 centimeters. The fish weighs from 8 to 12 kilograms. Occasionally in the seas there are individuals of 20-kilogram individuals of two meters in length.

The body of the katran has a classic shape: it is elongated and streamlined, covered with tiny prickly spikes.
Body shape and size allow her to develop high speed, rapidly chasing prey.

The coloration is not bright: the belly is from gray to ash-white, the back is darker, steel-gray. Some individuals have light symmetrical spots on the sides.

Katran has a wide mouth with many small sharp teeth. Instead of worn-out fangs, new units constantly grow. Mouth in the shape of a crescent normal state closed.

There is one fin on the back. The tail is paddle-shaped, mobile and acts as a rudder. hallmark from other sharks is the absence of an anal fin.

habitats

Katrans live in many seas of the world, in the bottom layers at a depth of 15 to 100 meters. Only at night they can rise to the surface. IN winter period dive to a depth of 300 meters.

Katran prefers cold waters and currents. The shark rarely swims away from coastal zone, it is attracted by coastal waters.

Nutrition

The main food base for the katran is schooling fish living in the water column: horse mackerel, whiting, sprats, small octopuses and mollusks. Sharks hunt small dolphins, mainly Azovka, and crabs.

reproduction

Sexual maturity occurs at 12-15 years of life of the fish. Differ in long-term monogamy.

Katran is an ovoviviparous shark. The female incubates the eggs in own body long, the term can reach 22 months. There is no typical spawning - small sharks are born. Newborn cubs are 20-25 centimeters long, one brood consists of 15-20 individuals. They grow rapidly and move to predatory image life.

Wondering if there are sharks in the Black Sea? And it's not even about horror films from childhood, but about the most ordinary human concern for one's life and health.

Are there sharks in the Black Sea?

The answer to such a question can instill fear in front of ignorant people, because this answer: "Yes" and this is a scientifically proven fact.

What predators live?

You can exhale - the sharks that live in the waters of the Black Sea are practically not dangerous for humans because of their small size and caution. During the day, they hide in depth and do not interfere with their presence of vacationers.

When meeting with fishermen, Black Sea sharks do not attack them, but go to the bottom.

In addition to sharks, there are other dangerous ones in the Black Sea:

• Jellyfish. Cornerot is dangerous, it can sting a person quite seriously with its poison;
• sea ​​ruff or scorpionfish. It has clawed teeth and poisonous glands located on its fins;
• sea ​​dragon. In appearance, a harmless fish has poisonous glands next to the spike on the gill cover and on the first dorsal fin, which is a great danger to people;
• stingray stingray. There is a sharp thorn on its tail, which can grow up to 35 cm. The injection of this protective element is very painful.

Unfavorable living environment

The Black Sea is unfavorable for the life of large, dangerous sharks for a number of reasons. At a depth of about 60-70 meters Black Sea waters contain hydrogen sulfide, which is not suitable for the breath of most species of sharks.

And one more fact why there are no dangerous sharks in the Black Sea. Due to the lack of diversity and quantity of marine fauna, large predators simply nothing to eat in the Black Sea. The low-salinity waters of the Black Sea are not suitable for life big sharks that got into it from .

Black Sea types of thunderstorms of the seas - photo

Only two shark species.

Katran

Also called dogfish or the Black Sea shark is the most famous predator of the Black Sea. The main feature of this shark is the spines on the fins, which are designed for protection. They are covered in poisonous slime. There are cases when a person could suffer from this shark while sorting the catch, injuring himself on poisonous spikes.

Katrans do not like solitary swimming and prefer to stray into common flocks.

The katran has a streamlined elongated shape, this allows you to develop great speed . These sharks live at a depth of up to 40 meters, a little deeper in summer, as they prefer water with a temperature of 14-15 degrees. An adult katran is no more than 160 cm long and lives for 25 years. Prefers to eat herring, horse mackerel, squid and even octopus. Avoids meeting people.

feline

The cat shark is also known as scillium. She has enough small size- an average of 60-70 cm. The body of the shark is covered with spots, which makes it similar to representatives of the feline species. Hunts in shallow water, feeds on small fish and crustaceans. Due to its size, it is often included in the diet of larger counterparts. It usually lives at a depth of 80-100 meters.

This nocturnal predator sees perfectly in darkness. During the day he prefers to lead a sedentary lifestyle. Basically, this species of sharks lives along the coast. Atlantic Ocean and in the Mediterranean Sea, from where it enters the Black Sea through the Bosporus during the migration period.

Blue, spiny and pygmy sharks can be found in the waters Adriatic Sea. Where is it - read in.

Sea killers and cases of attacks on people

Most of the statements that there are dangerous sharks, with relatives of fishing tales. And they are among the most mysterious and dangerous species sharks in the world ocean.

goblin shark

Differently goblin shark. Perhaps the most ancient and little-studied species of sharks on the planet. The only deep sea shark. Scientists came across the bones of a goblin shark 80 million years old.

This fish acquired such an ominous name for a reason. The goblin has a large sensitive protrusion on the nose, which does not add to its attractiveness, and a mobile jaw that moves far forward at the sight of prey. It prefers depths over 300 meters and never rises to the surface. Meets Enough rarely and was considered extinct for many years.

Compared to the Black Sea sharks, the goblin has an impressive size. Length adult more 3 meters.

Even the color of this shark remains a mystery, presumably it is pink, but in the event of a death of a shark, it changes to brown.

Shark has interesting features:

1. electroreception. That is, it is capable of receiving electrical impulses from environment. This helps her to get food in the dark sea depths;
2. She has another ability. deep sea fish- her eyes glow in the dark greenish light.

The goblin feeds on shellfish and fish. shark in all oceans except for the Arctic, preferring warm and temperate waters. Most often found off the coast of Japan.

In December 2010, information appeared in the media that in the Black Sea in the region, fishermen was caught goblin shark. No one, except for the shark itself, was hurt. There were photos, video reports, interviews. However, experts considered the information a "duck". How dangerous the goblin shark actually is is also not known.

white torpedo

shark eater. The name speaks for itself. This is one of the most large predators on the planet. Its length reaches 7 meters. With its huge size, the shark is quite smart and curious, it has a well-developed sense of smell, which allows you to smell prey several kilometers away.

The shape of a shark resembles torpedo, which allows it to reach speeds of up to 24 kilometers per hour. Can dive to a depth of more than 1000 meters. White sharks live 60 years. Adults feed on big fish, seals, sea ​​lions, cephalopods, can attack other sharks and even whales.

Big White shark gained a reputation as a killer due to numerous cases of attack on a person. This shark lives in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

According to scientists, the impact of white sharks from mediterranean sea across the Bosphorus probably, but they will not swim far from the strait and coast - water temperature drops in winter and summer are not suitable for them.

White sharks are thermophilic - they live in waters heated from +12 to +24 degrees.

Here are some cases of the appearance of white sharks near the Black Sea from the world of news:

• V 2008 And 2009 years in the area of ​​the Dardanelles in the net, fishermen from Turkey came across cubs of white sharks;
• in July 2011 Turkish fishermen caught a juvenile great white shark in the same region;
• in September 2016 all the same fishermen found a flock of white sharks in the Bosphorus off the coast.

blue sea queen

This type of shark got its name because of the unusual gray-blue color. The size is more modest than white, adults reach 4 meters. This species lives in Indian and Pacific Oceans. Prefers temperate and calm waters.

The blue shark is an excellent hunter, loves small fish, in coastal waters can attack waterfowl. This fish does not distinguish colors, but has phenomenal sense of smell.

With a man at the blue shark complicated relationship. In Malaysia, the blue shark is commercial fish and it is from there that it gets to gourmet tables different countries. But the predator herself does not remain in debt. Probability of attack especially large in the open ocean.

Less often, careless swimmers in warm lagoons can also be attacked by blue sharks.

On April 12, 2015, a blue shark attacked a photographer in south Florida, with only a bitten forearm. According to the victim, he provoked shark in pursuit of the perfect frame.

And in this video you can learn a little more about one of the Black Sea sharks:

atran, spiny shark- the only shark in the Black Sea, usually less than a meter in length, although maximum size this fish in the North Sea - up to 2 m. Katran almost never rises to the surface and does not approach the shore, one of the reasons for this is that he is cold-loving. Katrans feed on both bottom invertebrates and bottom fish - whiting, flounders, attack shoals of anchovies. Katran is an ovoviviparous fish. In spring, katrans mate at a depth of more than 30 meters, they have internal fertilization. After that, up to 30 eggs begin to develop in the body of the female! But the most amazing, absolute among the sharks, the record of the katrans is the duration of their pregnancy - it lasts for them 1.5-2 years! After such a period, one by one, the katranyat begin to jump out of the mother’s body, ready for independent predatory life. for some reason, the katran bites better on fat. It is not dangerous for a person - katrans, if they meet divers, are the first to flee. Seeing a katran under water is the dream of many Black Sea spearfishers, but I know only one person who, in his entire 20-year career as a professional diver, once, in the cold November water, saw a flock of Black Sea sharks. The katran can bring trouble to fishermen who get him from the trawl: the spines in front of his dorsal fins are sharp and poisoned, there are poisonous glands at their base, therefore, although the poison is far from fatal, it is better to avoid katran injections. Katran is a very tasty fish, but you need to know how to cook it - in his blood, like all sharks, it contains a lot of ammonia, and if you do not get rid of it, immediately draining all the blood from the caught fish, a pungent smell will remain. But shark dishes, and katran in particular, have one very positive quality- no bones! At all! Remember, sharks cartilaginous fish, and there is not a single bone in their skeleton. The skin of katrans has long been valued. Shark scales are not the same bony fish, in fact, these are the same shark teeth, but growing from the skin. The katran has teeth - the scales are very strong and sharp, they are directed back - towards the tail. Therefore, when you stroke the skin of a katran from head to tail, it feels like there is smooth cold silk under the palm of your hand, but holding your hand in the opposite direction will not work at all: hundreds of needle-scales will dig into the skin. Since time immemorial, craftsmen have used this property of katrany skin for polishing. valuable breeds tree.

Text: A. Vershinin. Life of the Black Sea, - M: MAKTSENTR. Publisher - 2003, pp. 82-83.

Katran is another representative of the shark family. This species has many other names: spiny shark, dog shark, marigold, shortfin shark, etc.

Among all types of sharks, katrans are the most common in the territory of the Russian sea. These fish can be observed in the Black, Baltic and Azov seas.

But you should not, after learning this information, cancel a trip to the sea: katrans are completely safe for people, they are not interested in us as food.

Therefore, scientists assure that even being close to a katran will not cause harm, the main thing is not to touch the shark and not pick it up if you are not a specialist zoologist.

What does a katran shark look like

The body of this small shark is elongated, like that of all its relatives in the family. Katrans do not exceed two meters in length, however, such sizes are extremely rare: usually, the length of a shark ranges from 1 to 1.2 meters. The weight that individuals of this species can reach does not exceed 20 kilograms.

Katrans are painted in grayish shades, the abdominal region is always light or pure white. Main Feature these sharks are considered to have spiky spines. It is because of them that scientists do not advise taking sharks in your hands. With its thorns, the katran is protected from attacks. If a person stumbles upon such a spike, then the wound will hurt, because. the mucus at the end of the thorn has poisonous properties. But you should not be afraid: for a person, this poison is not fatal, you just need to quickly disinfect the wound.

Where does the katran live

The habitat of this shark is very wide. It is found in all oceans, although it is most abundant in cool and temperate zones. Katrans cannot stand the sultry heat, but also icy waters- also not for them, because they cannot be found above Scandinavia.

The spiny shark keeps at a depth of 15 to 100 meters. At night, it can rise to the surface. When winter comes in the region of her residence, the katran descends to a depth of 300 meters.

Katran lifestyle

It is noted that sharks of this species very often live in small flocks.

The observations of scientists have shown that these sharks do not make migrations, especially large ones, although a case was recorded when the fish sailed from the waters of California to the Sea of ​​​​Japan.

As food, katrans are chosen sea ​​fish(sprats, red mullet and anchovy) as well as other animals: octopuses, crabs, and others. They also eat sea worms.

Reproduction of katrans

Like other sharks, katrans are ovoviviparous fish. First, the female katran bears eggs inside herself (this process can last up to 22 months). When the time comes for childbirth, from 15 to 20 small katranschiks are born. The length of newborns is up to 25 centimeters. Toddlers grow very quickly and get stronger and after a while they are ready for independent life. Puberty in young animals occurs at 12 - 15 years. In nature, katrans live no more than 25 years.

We are accustomed to consider the Black Sea one of the safest in terms of marine life. In fact, the way it is, although there are some individuals here, a meeting with which does not bode well. Among them are the Cornerot jellyfish, sea ​​ruff, stingray stingray, sea dragon. There are also sharks, which, by the way, are completely safe for humans. Let's talk about them.

There are two types of sharks in the Black Sea - katran and cat. They pose no threat to humans. The only exceptions are fishermen, who can get hurt while catching them. But here, as they say, they themselves are to blame. It's all the fault of negligence when removing the caught fish from the hook, which can injure with its fins. As for cases of attacks on a person, they were not recorded. Katran is not an aggressive predator. Even when wounded by a harpoon, he does not attack the fisherman, although he could well do it. Fortunately, his teeth are very sharp. Caught on the hook, he desperately resists, trying to free himself. That is why, when removing the fish from the hook, you need to be especially careful. Before doing this, the katran must be stunned.

The skin of the katran is very rough. It is covered with plates of scales, with sharp spikes. By appearance they resemble shark teeth, which are similar in sharpness to the teeth of a bench saw. If a tooth is worn out or broken, then a new one immediately grows in its place. This process is constant for the katran, and does not end until his death. A similar situation is with the skin of the Black Sea shark. When she is injured, the regeneration process is activated, and the wound quickly heals.

Until recently, the katran was caught not only for the sake of tasty meat, but also because of its skin, which was used for grinding metals, precious wood products, marble slabs. It was also used in the manufacture of book bindings. IN ancient China the skin was pulled over the shields of warriors. It was almost impossible to break through such a shield with a spear. Used in antiquity and shark teeth. They were equipped with combat batons, which after that became deadly weapon. Speaking of residents North America, then they used shark teeth as razors. The skin of a katran is also used in our time. Women's bags, shoes, and household items are sewn from it.

Compared to other types of sharks, the katran has a relatively small size, from 1.5 to 2 meters in length. Its body is gray-brown in color, with white spots on the sides. dorsal fins very sharp, with spikes at the ends. He has no skeleton. It is replaced by cartilage, which makes the katran extremely agile and fast. After all, it is the cartilaginous skeleton that allows the shark to make energetic movements with its body, which is its original mover.

IN summer time Katran prefers to be in warm coastal waters. In winter, it goes to the open sea to great depths, up to 100 meters. The Black Sea shark lives on average 30 years. The period of puberty begins at the age of 15. For a long time, the katran remains faithful to its chosen one, therefore, there is an equilibrium in the sex ratio of fish. Katran is a viviparous fish. She brings offspring in April and May. This happens in the open sea, at a depth of up to 100 meters. Born sharks from the first minutes are ready for independent life. They feed on molluscs, small fish, shrimp.