Odontaspis noronhai
Reaching at least 3.6 m in length, the Bigeye Sand Tiger is an exceptionally rare mackerel shark with a bulky frame and a long, bulbous snout. It is distinguished by its large orange eyes and a wide mouth where narrow, protruding teeth remain visible. Unlike similar species, this shark is a uniform dark brown or reddish brown color, and each of its teeth features only one small side point. It may also display black markings inside the mouth or a white tip on the first dorsal fin.
This shark likely ranges across the globe, with sightings in the Atlantic, Pacific, and possibly the Indian Ocean. It typically stays at depths between 60 and 1,000 m, inhabiting continental margins and the open sea. Evidence suggests it travels between different water levels, perhaps rising from the mesopelagic zone at night to hunt. It is known to behave aggressively when captured, thrashing and snapping with its protrusible jaws.
The diet of this predator consists of squid and bony fishes. While its breeding habits are not fully understood, it is likely that embryos develop inside the mother and feed on unfertilized eggs. Humans rarely encounter this shark, but it is sometimes caught by accident in commercial fishing gear like longlines, gillnets, and purse seines. Because it is so seldom seen, it holds no commercial value, and some regions have prohibited people from taking them in their waters.
Written from the English Wikipedia article Bigeye sand tiger (CC BY-SA 4.0).
These are open occurrence records, so they show where people looked for and recorded the Bigeye Sand Tiger as much as where it lives. Cells are up to 25 km across, and every location is generalised to its cell.
Where and when you can expect to see Bigeye Sand Tiger is calculated from observation density. No zones have been computed for this species yet.
Conservation status not assessed here yet, so every location is generalised to its grid cell.