Cat shark: cute predator behaves exactly like a cat (8 photos)

If mermaids really existed, the catshark would be their number one pet. And why? But because they really are like cats!





Me: Mom, let's get a cat? Mom: We have a cat at home. Cat at home:

This beauty lives in the European waters of the Atlantic Ocean, splashing around the western part of the Scandinavian Peninsula, near Scotland and off the coast of North-West Africa. Also, the cat shark has great respect for the Mediterranean and Black Seas, periodically flashing its fins off the coast of Turkey. Now let's talk about her catness!



So these are the black eyes the song is about...

The first is size. Usually the shark reaches only 70 cm in length and weighs up to 2 kg. Quite small, just like our usual purrs! Some individuals, of course, can grow up to a meter, but this is rare. After all, every cat family should have a Maine Coon!





A clear demonstration of the expression: “they raised you up, but forgot to wake you up.”

The fish itself is flexible, agile and graceful, just like its terrestrial namesake. And she’s just as cute in the face - the look of her big eyes can easily compete with the cat from Shrek! And not only in appearance: the cat shark’s vision is amazing - both in the dark and in the light. True, the cat shark cannot boast of smooth and soft fur - its skin is so tough that at one time people even used fish skin as pumice.



Why are you moved? I'm actually a dangerous predator!

The shark's diet is truly aristocratic, all for the glory of its name! The menu includes a rich selection of seafood: gastropods, echinoderms, sea worms, small fish and all kinds of crustaceans - crabs, shrimp, larger crayfish and smaller crustaceans. With such a hunter, you don’t need to worry about luxury food with turkey and rabbit, she will catch some delicious food herself!



Curled up in a ball and sleeping. Why isn't Murzik to you?

Crustaceans are predominantly eaten by young people; older people will have wider appetites. But shark children differ from adults not only in their gastronomic preferences, but also in their hunting method. Their hard skin plays a leading role here - the young cut up their prey not with their teeth, but with their skin! The fish grabs the food with the skin teeth that are located near the tail, after which it uses its jaws. This action even has its own name - “grinding scales.”



Our cats love to rustle with bags, and shark seals love to rustle with algae!

But let's get back to the cat features! Our shark seals are subjects of the Lady of the Night, and they organize all their movements in the dark. During the day, males nail to the bottom, and females strive to find shelter in shallow water. You can also add to the cat-likeness that fish can really have their own character, just like our pets. According to research, some individuals have different interests in communication - some are more social, some less. This also concerns the gradation of aggressiveness and exploratory behavior.



Hey, turn off the camera, you're interfering with my hunting!

But the shark breeds all year round - you won’t hear the drawn-out March “meow” from the ocean. The female lays up to 20 eggs in shallow coastal waters, attaching them to small algae. The horny capsule in which shark “kittens” develop is called a “mermaid’s purse.” By the way, its size reaches 6 cm.



Our children are found in cabbage. And the children of sharks are in very strange packages...

The development of one baby shark takes from 5 to 11 months. It depends on the water temperature: the warmer, the faster! But the life expectancy is quite normal by fish standards: a fur seal lives up to 12 years.