Odontaspis

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Classis: Chondrichthyes
Subclassis: Elasmobranchii
Infraclassis: Euselachii
Division/Cohort: Neoselachii
Subdivision/Subcohort: Selachimorpha
Superordo: Galeomorphii
Ordo: Lamniformes

Familia: Odontaspididae
Genus: Odontaspis

Species: †O. aculeatus – Odontaspis ferox - Odontaspis noronhai
Name

Odontaspis Agassiz, 1838

Type species: Carcharinus ferox Risso, 1827 (= Squalus ferox Risso, 1810)

References

Agassiz, J.L.R. 1838. Recherches Sur Les Poissons Fossiles. Tome III (livr. 11). Imprimérie de Petitpierre, Neuchatel 73–140. Reference page.

Odontaspis (from Greek: ὀδούς odoús 'tooth') and Greek: ἀσπίς aspís 'shield')[2] is a genus of sand shark with two extant species.
Description
The prominent cusps of one Odontaspis species (O. ferox).

Bigeye sand tigers can reach a length of about 3.6 metres (12 ft) and smalltooth sand tigers of about 4.1 m.

They are large-bodied sharks with long, conical snouts, broad-based dorsal and anal fins, and an asymmetrical caudal fin with a strong lower lobe.

Their teeth are large, with prominent narrow cusps.[3]

They are distinguished from the similar genus Carcharias by the absence of crushing posterior teeth.[4]

These bottom dwelling, deepwater sharks can be found in temperate and tropical waters of all the oceans.[4]
Extant species

Odontaspis ferox (A. Risso, 1810) (smalltooth sand tiger)
Odontaspis noronhai (Maul, 1955) (bigeye sand tiger)

Extinct species

Extinct species within this genus include:[1]

Odontaspis aculeatus Capetta & Case, 1975
Odontaspis speyeri (Dartevelle & Casier, 1943)
Odontaspis winkleri Leriche, 1905

Fossil teeth of Odontaspis winkleri from Khouribga (Morocco), 55-45 mya

Fossils of Odontaspis have been found all over the world. These extinct sand sharks lived from the Cretaceous to the Quaternary periods (from 136.4 to 0.012 Ma). Fossils of these fishes have been found worldwide.[1]
See also

List of prehistoric cartilaginous fish

References

Fossilworks
Roberts, George (1839). An etymological and explanatory dictionary of the terms and language of geology. London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans. p. 123. Retrieved 31 December 2021.
Compagno, L.J.V. (1984). Sharks of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization. ISBN 92-5-101384-5.
Bourdon, J. Odontaspis Agassiz 1838. Elasmo.com. Retrieved on December 24, 2008.