Scientific name:
Squalidae

Natural spread:
deep sea-areas

this family includes approximately 50 types of smaller sharks. A sharp thorn is typical before each of the two back-fins, that anus-fin lacks. The shape is long-stretched and, to recognize for everyone as they of a shark. The teeth ordered sharp, to the back directional and in several rows point out the predatory way of life - however, thorn-sharks never become dangerous for the human being already on the basis of its low size. Representatives of this shark-family are to be found in all oceans. Some occur in deep sea-areas, lives in more inferior water-depths and in the coast-area others like the thorn-shark. they bring to the world living boy; the eggs remain until the maturity in the rush-pus of the female.

Types The thorn-shark (Squalus acanthias), who gains a length of up to 1,20 m, is the most known. its spread runs in the west from west-Greenland until Florida across the entire northern Atlantic, in the east of North-Africa until Norway, with what it advances also in the Mediterranean and the Baltic sea.

Way of life Mostly, one finds thorn-sharks in big swarms. They undertake wide hikes in dependence on water-temperature and loot-offer (young codfish-fish, herring-fish). Since they prepare considerable damage under the usefulness-fish-continuances, they are caught at the North American coast without finding economic utilization.

Reproduction Thorn-sharks very late attain the sexually mature, males with 10 years, females even only with 16-18 years. This circumstance indicates that the fish can become quite old - certainly over 25 years.

Fishery The late starting the sexually mature, the long ripening time of the eggs of 18-22 months and the low number of the born young (4-12, on average 8-10) means, that the thorn-shark can be overfished easily. Because in contrast to the USA, this shark is an important industry-fish in Germany. From the stomach-rags, the "Schiller-curls" are produced, that roll up by itself when smoking. The remaining body is skinned and is marinated in pieces or is smoked offered as so-called "sea-eel."

Artificial thorn-sharks (family Dalatiidae)) its representatives resemble the thorn-sharks in showy manner. As well, the Dalatiiden like the thorn-sharks lack the anus-fin. However, they lack also the thorns before the two back-fins (therefore "artificial" thorn-sharks)!). The smallest sharks are found at all in this family, with lengths of only 45 cm. The biggest type is the grassland or ice-shark (Somniosus microcephalus), who can become up to 6,5 m long. In the northern Atlantic, this gluttonous robber become find widespread, southern it before Great Britain. Beside bigger fishings, tooth-whales and seals form its food; it should not become dangerously the human being.