Sharks are one of the oldest inhabitants of our planet, even older than dinosaurs. More than 350 species of sharks live in the water spaces on our planet.
In the Black Sea, there are two genera of sharks: the Katran and the cat shark.
The katran (spiny shark, sea dog, marigold) belongs to the spiny shark family. Sharks of this family have sharp spines on their dorsal fins. It is these thorns that can pose a danger to humans. They are covered in poisonous mucus. If an unwary diver or fisherman is injured by thorns, they will develop a severe swelling. Katran grows more often up to one meter, but sometimes two-meter individuals are also found. The color of the katran is brown with white spots. This shark feeds on fish, crabs, shellfish.
Sometimes small-spotted (European, common) cat sharks swim into the Black Sea from the neighboring seas (Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean). They received the name "feline" for the similarity of the shape of the head to the head of a land cat. In addition, cat sharks are very flexible like cats. The size of a small-spotted cat shark in the Black Sea is about 60-70 cm. The color of this species of shark is light brown with dark brown spots. They feed on fish, molluscs, crabs, shrimps, echinoderms, and worms.
