Usually when people talk about sharks, their dangerous jaws and large sizes are immediately remembered. But among these representatives there is a Katran shark, which is not dangerous to humans. What kind of fish is this?
Shark Description
It should be noted right away that this marine inhabitant has other names: “nokotnitsa”, “dog shark”, “sea dog”, “prickly shark”. Compared with other toothy relatives, it has a small body size, usually does not exceed 1.5 meters. These representatives are also cartilaginous. But many are interested to know what a sea dog looks like. Her body seems elongated, spindle-shaped. The color of the katran is also “classical”: gray or brown with a light belly. Some individuals have speckled sides. The caudal fin is quite powerful. This fish has its own difference - at the base of each dorsal fin there is a sharp spike. By the way, this is why it is sometimes called the "prickly shark." At the bottom of the head there is a large transverse mouth. The body is covered with scales similar to chain mail, it was this feature that became fatal for this fish.
Durable Hide
For many years, katranas were hunted mainly because of the hide. Scaly plates covering the entire body have small, almost invisible spikes. If you hold the fish over the body with your hand, it will appear gentle and smooth, but as soon as you start to lead it against the scales, you can get hurt badly. The sensations are very painful.
If the skin of the katrana is damaged, it will heal very quickly, and new scales will grow on this place. Since the sea dog can hurt, fishermen treated her carefully. Previously, gloves were made from the skin of a fish, which were intended for grinding wood and precious metals. Also, the blacksmiths put on aprons from such a skin in order to protect themselves from injuries at work. Some worked with her stones.
Where dwells
Most of these representatives can be found in the waters of the Black Sea. But we can safely say that they are also fish of the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. In addition, quatrains swim in the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait. Some met a sea dog in the Sea of Okhotsk and Japan.
Shark life
It was not for nothing that it was noted that the katrans more prefer to dwell in the Black Sea. These conditions are protection for them, because other sharks will not swim here due to the composition of water, lack of food, cold. But the sea dog was able to adapt to such a life. The fish feels good at a temperature of 7 - 14 degrees, so it can hardly be found off the coast. In shallow water, it enters only in autumn or spring, when hydrogen sulfide rises from a depth. Wintering fish at a depth of one hundred meters. Keep their packs and with other "families" try not to intersect.
Their appetite is good, and often they steal the catch of horse mackerel and hamsa, which are still on the net. Sometimes they prey on the "Azov", but infrequently, because these dolphins are still large for them. The fish of the Mediterranean Sea and two oceans are at risk of being caught in the net or eaten by sea dogs. And in some countries, rewards are given for the capture of quatrains. But at present, in the North-East Atlantic, they decided to ban the capture of spiny sharks, since their species was threatened with extinction.
Mating season
A sea dog may surprise, because its maturity occurs at the sunset of life, at 13 - 17 years. Males are ready for mating games for 11 years. The mating period begins in late April at a depth of 50 - 100 meters. The duration of pregnancy of quatrans lasts from 1.5 to 2 years. Fry in the womb of the female is usually about 15 pieces. Children born into the world immediately begin to show their predatory disposition. They prey on fry of other fish and love small shrimps.
