Occurrence of the vulnerable smalltooth sand tiger shark, Odontaspis ferox, in the Canary Islands, first evidence of philopatry

Abstract

The smalltooth sand tiger shark Odontaspis ferox (Odontaspididae) is a demersal offshore species (Acuña‐Marrero, Zimmerhackel, Mayorga, & Hearn, 2013) inhabiting deep waters along continental and oceanic shelves and upper slopes, at depths ranging from 10 to 883 m (Fergusson, Graham, & Compagno, 2008). It has a circumglobal but patchy distribution throughout warm temperate and tropical waters (Compagno, 2001); and it is considered unusual encountered, or naturally has low population numbers (Bonfil, 1995). [...]