Family Dog or spiny sharks(Squalidae)
Genus: Squalus
Katran ( Squalus acanthias), or ordinary spiny shark, also known as the short-finned prickly shark, marigold, butotnitsa, dog shark, blunt-nosed prickly shark - a fish from the family of katran sharks.
Perhaps this is the most common shark in the Russian seas. It can be found in the Far Eastern, Northern seas, as well as in the Baltic, Azov and Black Seas.
The body of the katran has a classic "shark" shape, cigar-shaped, elongated and very streamlined. Already by one appearance, one can understand that this is an extremely mobile shark, capable of rapidly pursuing prey.
The usual length of the katran does not exceed 1-1.2 m, with a weight of 8-12 kg, however, there are also larger individuals over 2 m in length and weighing up to 20 kg.
The body color of the katran is not catchy - the dorsal side is gray-brown, steel-gray or gray-blue, the belly is grayish-white, ash or white. There are sometimes small light spots on the dorsal side and sides.
Eyes of medium size, lacking a nictitating membrane. The mouth is located on the underside of a pointed snout, has a crescent shape characteristic of sharks, and is normally closed. Several rows of sharp small teeth serve to hold prey and grind food. Teeth, like all sharks, are periodically replaced from the back rows, replenishing the missing or worn ones in the front row.
A distinctive feature of the katran is the presence of prickly spikes on the dorsal fins, which carry protective function for this shark. Another hallmark katrana - the absence of an anal fin. However, such external signs are present in almost all species of the large order of catran-shaped sharks.
The caudal fin has an enlarged paddle-shaped upper lobe.
Habitat of the katran shark
This shark lives, as I have already noted, in many seas of the World Ocean, however, it has some preferences in choosing places of permanent residence.
Usually katrans keep in the bottom layers of the seas, occasionally (more often at night) rising to the surface. Prefers depths from 15 to 100 meters, in winter time descends deeper - up to 200-300 meters.
In general, the katran does not belong to heat-loving sharks, preferring moderately cold waters to warm ones. However, it is rare above the Scandinavian Peninsula. It rarely moves far from the coastal zone of the seas, preferring coastal waters, but it can also be found at a considerable distance from the coast.
It is believed that these sharks do not make any significant migrations, but cases are known when tagged katrans were caught far from the places of tagging. Once marked in California, the katran was caught off the coast of Japan seven years later.
Often forms small flocks.
Medium-sized sea fish (in the Black Sea - anchovy, horse mackerel, red mullet, sprats), bottom animals - crabs, shrimps, cephalopods (octopuses, squids), worms and others serve as food for katrans.
Katran is an ovoviviparous shark, the female bears eggs for a very long time (from 18 to 22 months). The eggs are incubated in the body of the female in special capsules located in the oviduct. The brood consists of 15-20 sharks. Newborn katrans are small - 20-25 cm in length. Sharks quickly grow up and move on to a predatory lifestyle typical of sharks, the duration of which for katrans is about 25 years. The katrans become sexually mature at the age of 12-15 years.
The most pressing question for most visitors Black Sea coast during summer holidays- Are there sharks in the Black Sea, and how dangerous are they for people?
I’ll note right away that there are no sharks dangerous to humans in the Black Sea. Nor sailing from the Mediterranean to summer time feline shark, nor katran do not attack people.
In this regard, the katran is no more dangerous than pikeperch or large perch, which, like the prickly shark, have unpleasant thorns on their bodies that can injure your hands if you carelessly handle the fish. Like those of perches, the spikes of the katran are covered with poisonous mucus, but not so poisonous as to seriously damage the health of the victim of the injection.
You will experience pain from a thorn injection, possibly inflammation of the injection site due to the ingress of poisonous mucus or dirt into the wound. Nothing deadly.
However, you should not check the sharpness of the katran teeth with your fingers - you can get hurt. But I think that this warning is unnecessary - at least I have not met people who would put their finger in the mouth of a live pike to touch its teeth.
Outwardly, this shark looks a bit like an ordinary sturgeon, but its predatory breed is betrayed by a "shark" mouth and a predatory, even slightly angry, look of the eyes, as well as the absence of spines on the body and gill covers. In close comparison, these fish have many external distinguishing features.
For those who want to learn more about dangerous inhabitants Black Sea, I recommend THIS article of my site. And those who are interested in the types of sharks that live in our Russian seas, please HERE.
Katrans in many countries, including Russia, are eaten. The meat is very tender, and, after appropriate processing, is not inferior in taste to sturgeon and the meat of many marine fish. It is devoid of bones, fatty, rich in useful substances. For example, katran meat contains more protein than chicken eggs and milk. Smoked balyki katran are especially tasty. The liver of this shark is extremely rich in vitamin "A" (10 times richer than cod liver).
In the past, when sharks were universally recognized as "enemies of the people", buyers (especially Europeans and Americans) were prejudiced against shark meat, neglecting it. Sellers and fishermen had to use well-known tricks to sell this product - to pass off shark meat for the meat of other fish that are more popular in human cuisine - sturgeon, halibut, eel, Cuban cod, etc. Now, when the general literacy of the population has grown, this problem has become less relevant, but there are still cases of selling shark meat under the "mask" of the meat of other fish.
In general - without any doubt, eat katran meat for health and pleasure!
Well, you can learn more about how to catch this interesting shark.
It is firmly entrenched in our minds that sharks are dangerous predators and ruthless killers. However, such a description does not apply to the katran shark, which lives in and does not attack vacationers.
The katran shark belongs to the order of the katran-shaped family of prickly (dog) sharks. It has a large distribution area in different seas of the World Ocean, in particular, in the Black Sea. The shark tries to avoid being too warm or too cold water. Usually the katran keeps at a depth of 100-200 meters and near the coast, it rises to the surface only at night. As a rule, fish do not migrate too far. In autumn, the migration of the katran to areas of mass accumulations of horse mackerel and anchovy begins.
The katran shark, also known as the spiny shark, is a medium-sized predator and the only shark in the Black Sea. It does not differ in large sizes, its length varies from 70 to 125 centimeters. Quite rarely there are individuals measuring two meters in size. The mass of a predator is on average 10-12 kilograms. Katran has a well-developed sense of smell, while the shark practically does not feel pain.
The Black Sea shark katran has the same external data as the rest of its squad: light color on the belly, dark color on the back and sides, slender spindle-shaped body structure, conical head with a sickle-shaped mouth. Distinctive outward sign prickly sharks is the absence of the anal fin and nictitating membrane of the eye - the "third eyelid".
Katran is a shark that does not pose a serious threat to human life. The only danger to humans is the possibility of injuring themselves with the spiky fins of the fish. The special one that covers the skin of a shark is close in composition to teeth and bones. So, shark scales consist of leather plates that are adjacent to each other and form pointed peaks. The shark has sharp and poisonous spines covered with mucus, but the poison of the katran is far from fatal. Katran has small and multi-row sharp teeth that are updated throughout life. They gradually fall out and are replaced by new ones.
Shark katran is large predator The main food of a young katran is small fish, fry and shrimps. For adults, the favorite food is herring, cod, horse mackerel, as well as squid and even octopuses. the katrana is quite long - 25 years. The spiny shark hunts in small flocks, following the accumulations of fish.
The katran shark is a viviparous fish, females give birth to about 14 sharks, which appear fully formed and ready for independent existence. Their weight is 40-50 grams. By one year, sharks grow up to 35 centimeters. Full puberty is reached by 13-17 years.
The katran shark often creates trouble for fishermen by eating their catch and destroying gear, but does not attack vacationers. is valuable commercial fish and useful product nutrition. Meat, liver and cartilage of fish contain a large number of valuable substances for the body, contributing to its recovery. Its meat, which has a pleasant taste and delicate texture, contains about 12% fat. Of particular value is the liver of fish, from which medical fat is produced, which has vitamins A and D.
The Black Sea katran belongs to the family of katran sharks, or, as they are also called, prickly sharks. It lives, according to its name, in the Black Sea. In some countries, this fish is called sea dog.
She received such a nickname for her characteristic behavior: getting into fishing nets, she tore and gnawed them. The katran does not attack people, but its spikes can cause great trouble to careless fishermen.
Katran is an object of fishing, its meat is used for food. Previously, the skin of this fish was also used in the economy. Aprons for blacksmiths were sewn from it, used for polishing, and books were bound.
The Black Sea shark katran is a marine cartilaginous fish, belongs to the family of katran sharks, is a subspecies of the common katran. This species is much smaller than its fellows in the family. Few females larger than males, can reach a length of 1.8 m. The weight of 1 copy reaches 15 kg, but more often remains in the range of 10-12 kg.
The body of the fish is painted grayish-brown, the back is darker. On the sides there are rare white spots, the belly is light - grayish-white or white. Therefore, this type of shark is also called spotted.
At the base of the dorsal fins there are sharp spikes with which the shark defends itself from enemies. The tail is powerful with a fin of various lobes. The spindle shape allows the shark to develop greater speed. The fins serve mainly to maintain the desired position of the body in the water, the tail performs steering functions.
The mouth is large, transverse, crescent-shaped, with several rows of sharp teeth that are replaced throughout the life of the animal. Total A shark has up to 1,000 teeth in a lifetime.
A feature of the katran shark is its scales. Diamond-shaped scales are hidden under the skin, and small sharp spikes come to the surface. They are located in the direction from head to tail. In structure, these spikes are similar to shark teeth.
This type of scale is called placoid. When the skin is injured, the scales regenerate.
Sea dogs live on average 20-30 years.
The distribution area of the Black Sea katran covers the entire area of the Black Sea and the nearby part Kerch Strait. Sometimes it can be found in the southern part of the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov.
Katrans in the Black Sea most often live in the coastal zone, at depths not exceeding 120 m, but they can also be found far from the coast, above great depths.
The predatory lifestyle of the katran determines its habitats and interaction with other species.
Favorable water temperature for these fish is +6…+16°С. Therefore, katrans come close to the shore in spring and autumn. In winter and summer, they prefer to be at great depths (100-120 m).
They keep in flocks, during the day mainly at the bottom at depths of up to 70 m, and at night they rise to the surface. Schools of Black Sea sharks often migrate for schools of small fish that are hunted. In summer and autumn, males and females stay in separate flocks.
The spiny katran shark is a predator, its main prey are bottom and pelagic fish. In addition, shellfish and crustaceans are found in its diet. Katran hunts for anchovy, sprat, horse mackerel, sultanka, whiting, gobies, less often for herring, shad, mullet, sea burbot. Sometimes female sharks can attack dolphins.
The diet varies somewhat depending on the habitat. So, off the coast of Romania, the basis of the diet is whiting, and near Sevastopol, crabs are added to fish.
Females acquire the ability to reproduce at the age of 13–17 years with a body length of 1.1–1.3 m, males at 13–14 years with a length of 1–1.1 m. Black Sea sharks are ovoviviparous fish, fertilization is internal, there is no egg spawning , the female immediately gives birth to 8-15 fry 22-28 cm long, sometimes up to 33 cm.
Mating games take place in the spring, at a depth of 40 to 90 m. Then sea dogs retreat to depths of more than 60 m. The development of offspring in the body of a female lasts about 18 months. This is the longest gestation period among sharks.
For spawning, fish return to a depth of 25-35 m. This happens in the second half of autumn. Both mating games and the birth of offspring take place in constant places in the water area and can vary in time by about a month between different geographical points. After giving birth, adults go to a depth of more than 60 m.
Sharks prey on fry of other fish, small mollusks and shrimps.
Katran meat is not only edible, but also a tasty, delicate dietary product. The spiny katran shark is a commercial fish; all the Black Sea countries are fishing for it. However, it should be remembered that due to a number of features (late puberty, long intrauterine period), this species is more sensitive to overfishing than others.
Katran meat contains 17.6% protein and 4.2% fat. This is a moderately fatty fish. Katran meat contains vitamins, macro- and microelements: retinol, niacin, tocopherol, iodine, potassium, phosphorus, etc.
Fat containing polyunsaturated fatty acids omega 3 and 6, vitamins A, D, E, alkylglycerols is rendered from the liver. Fat and cartilage are used in the pharmaceutical industry.
The meat of the Black Sea katran is white or pinkish-white, after cooking juicy and tender, does not contain small bones(only central cartilage), can be used in dietary nutrition.
Balyk products are prepared from katran, subjected to hot and cold smoking. This fish can also be boiled, stewed and fried, and a delicious soup is cooked from the fins.
You can put out the katran according to this recipe: put the pre-peeled and chopped fish in a wide pan with vegetable oil. Put a layer of onion, cut into rings, and grated carrots on top.
You can repeat all 3 layers again. Add salt, pepper, spices and simmer over low heat for about half an hour. Sprinkle the finished dish with fresh herbs.
Tasty and tender katran is also obtained when fried. To keep the fish juicy, it must be breaded. For breading, you can use flour, crackers, an egg. Salt and pepper the fish slices, sprinkle with lemon juice and let stand for about 15 minutes.
Before frying, dip each slice in an egg, then in flour or breadcrumbs. Can be used for breading and a mixture of flour and breadcrumbs. Some housewives do not use an egg. Fry in a hot pan greased with vegetable oil.
The sea dog is also suitable for cooking steaks and barbecues.
Catrans do not attack people. From ancient times to this day, not a single case of an attack by a Black Sea katran on fishermen or swimmers has been described.
From this point of view, the answer to the question of whether sharks are dangerous in the Black Sea will be negative. But do not forget that the Black Sea shark is a predator with sharp teeth and spikes, so careless contact with it can lead to an unpleasant injury.
The spines of this shark are covered with mucus with irritating substances that, when injected into the wound from the injection, can lead to the development of severe edema. You can also scratch yourself on the rough skin of the fish.
A seventy-year-old poisonous spiny shark katran lives in the Black Sea! Katran (translated from Greek as "prickly") - Squalus acanthias belongs to the family of prickly sharks. They got their name due to the sharp spikes that are located at the beginning of the first and second dorsal fins. These thorns do not emit poison, as most fishermen believe, but they pose a real threat. The thing is that they can be covered with mucus, in which various microorganisms miraculously multiply. At the time of the injection, bacteria enter the wound and cause infection, with its characteristic redness and pain. So these injuries are very, very dangerous. Although the bite of a katran is much worse than the pricks of thorns. By the way, in the old days, people used the “thorns” of the fins as toothpicks, absolutely not being afraid of being poisoned. .
Another legend is connected with the "survivability" of these fish. In fact, the maximum age for them, according to various sources, is 25-30 years. You can approximately determine the age of the katran by the rings on the spike of the second fin. Light rings are formed in the summer, when the fish grows faster, dark ones are “winter” rings. The most "wild" legend that could be found is the story that, due to the absence of an anus, excrement is excreted from the katran through the pores of the skin. Indeed, they heard the ringing, but they don’t know where it is! Yes, quatrains do not have a separate anus. The fact is that the cloaca - the part of the hindgut that opens outward - in hagfish, stingrays, sharks, sea needles, all amphibians, reptiles and birds, performs the functions of both the rectum and the urethra, and the birth canal. But the cloaca still has a hole, and it is located on the stomach of our "hero". This spiny shark, unlike its other relatives, does not have an ocular nictitating membrane ("third century"). One more distinctive feature is the absence of an anal fin. Well, of course, the aforementioned spikes are a feature that is characteristic only for prickly sharks. Katran, nokotnitsa, sea dog - different names for the same shark. The katran is widespread everywhere and its habitat is very wide.
Dog fish become sexually mature by the age of ten and fry are gestated for up to two years, or rather, 22 months (the longest “pregnancy” among all known sharks). The katran shark is viviparous. It mates in the Black Sea in the spring, and by the beginning of summer, thei'm fry. Mating games take place at a depth of about forty meters. In the north, fry appear in the middle of spring, and in the Sea of Japan - in August, that is, closer to autumn.Katrans living in the open seas breed in subtropical waters, but in the Vladivostok region, the appearance of juveniles of the katrans was often noted. In the Black Sea, the sea dog for mating goes to a depth of 40 meters. And the maximum depth at which the katran was encountered was 230 meters.
The length of the body of the buttress is one to two meters. Most often - 120-160 centimeters. This little shark belongs to the pelagic fish, i.e. lives in the water column or near its surface. The main food objects are fish, shrimps, crabs. They live in small flocks. According to the assumptions of some scientists, in the open seas flocks of sharks migrate after the fish they feed on.
are packaged in two special gelatin capsules. The number of eggs in capsules is different and can vary from two to 13 pieces. And when one "batch" of eggs is already preparing for birth, new eggs are already maturing in the ovaries. At the time of birth, the fry have a length of 20-26 cm. At first, the fry feeds on the yolk sac, which stores nutrients. By the way, the katran, like all other sharks, is extremely voracious. This is due to the fact that in order to breathe, they, that is, sharks, need to constantly move, spending a lot of energy. To make up for the loss of energy, sharks have to constantly eat. In some countries, they are a real disaster for fishermen, so measures such as a reward for catching these fish have even been introduced. .
katran (Squalus acanthias) or spiny shark
One of the subspecies of the spiny shark, the katran, is widespread in the Black Sea. The Black Sea katran shark does not attack humans, although the size of the largest individuals could well allow them to do so.
Katrans, or as they are sometimes called, sea dogs, usually grow no more than 1.5-2 meters in length (more often in the catch - within one meter). Sometimes there are specimens a little more than two meters. Spiny sharks usually hunt in small groups, following schools of fish at a depth of 30-150 m, rarely rising closer to the surface. The main prey of the katran is schooling small and medium-sized fish: anchovy, horse mackerel, mackerel, herring, sprat. At the same time, the sea dog is not averse to eating sea shellfish(eg squid) and various crustaceans. And yet, the main and favorite prey of the spiny shark is pelagic (living in the water column) schooling fish. Therefore, fishermen know that it is usually possible to catch a katran where large schools of horse mackerel or herring appear. There is an opinion that katran can hunt dolphins in packs. It's hard to believe it. Still, the dolphin is too large, strong and fast prey for the spiny shark, whose weight usually does not exceed 15 kg. Moreover, it is well known thatdolphins sometimes attack larger sharks than the Black Sea katrans. However, dolphin meat is sometimes found in the stomachs of caught katrans. Most likely, sea dogs attack sick or injured bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins in packs (just as their terrestrial "namesake" can attack a larger, weakened animal in a pack).
Katran prefers cool water, so it rarely swims in shallow water. The Black Sea has its own unique features that are not found anywhere else the globe. Here, all the main life is concentrated at depths of no more than 150-200 meters, and below is the kingdom of hydrogen sulfide and the sulfur bacteria that produce it. In the northern coastal regions, the water is often very warm, and besides, it has a rather low salinity due to the difficult exchange with mediterranean sea and large river flow. At the same time, strong currents often bring rather cold masses of water to coastal zones even in summer. Therefore, very unpretentious species of fish live in these places, which tolerate sharp fluctuations in temperature and salinity well. The same can be said about the katran. The Black Sea shark has perfectly adapted to local conditions, roaming behind herds of fatty anchovy or mackerel. The offspring of the katran is born immediately ready for the harsh underwater life. Sea dog has a very long gestation period - from one and a half to almost two years. During this time, fry "hatched" from eggs grow into rather large sharks 20-30 cm in size. marine environment, they immediately begin to hunt small animals and reach sexual maturity in about 13-15 years.
Sometimes fishermen manage to catch a katran while catching other fish from a pier deeply protruding into the sea or from a boat. This happens when the spiny shark comes ashore following migratory schools, usually in autumn, in October-November. At the same time, they hunt specifically for the katran with the help of special gear. Most often used tyrants. This is a long tackle, with a supply of fishing line on a reel up to 200 meters, at the end of which there are up to a dozen leads with hooks. You can “fool” fish both from a stationary boat and on the go. It usually happens that if one shark pecked, then in the same place you can pull several more. This is due precisely to the fact that katrans hunt in small groups, sometimes, however, accumulating in fairly large flocks. Catran is also caught in an industrial way. Sometimes it comes across in nets along with herring or anchovy, but more often it becomes prey when catching predators such as flounder on the line.
The katran has a large liver, from which you can get a very useful and rich in vitamins and fatty acids "fish oil". The meat gives off ammonia and is bitter, so it is advisable to immediately drain the blood after catching the shark. But absolutely no bones! Before cooking, pieces of meat must be thoroughly washed. Katran makes excellent steaks that can be fried or stewed in a tomato-vegetable sauce. Balyki from this fish are also quite good. If you cook katran correctly, then its balyk tastes difficult to distinguish from sturgeon. In general, the sea dog once again confirms that it is not so much people who should be afraid of sharks, but underwater predators - humans. And almost the only danger that can lie in wait for us from the katran is its sharp poisonous spikes, which are located on the back next to the fins. And, of course, you should not check the sharpness of the teeth of a sea dog. And you should not "stroke" the katran, especially "against the wool." Its scales are the same teeth, although very small, but very sharp. Dried katran skin is used for wood processing (grinding and polishing).
This is the most massive predator of the Black Sea, and its role in the local ecology is very large. Especially considering that every year there are fewer and fewer dolphins, and seals locals already forgotten when they saw it.
The katran shark, or the Black Sea shark, belongs to the cartilaginous fish of the Katran-like order. The species was first described in 1758 by Carl Linnaeus. The name is translated from Greek as a thorn or thorn, and fishermen often call the individual a short-finned spiny shark. This species is one of the most common, and can be found in the waters of most oceans and seas around the world. The animal is of particular interest to Food Industry and sport fishing.
The katran shark, or the Black Sea shark, belongs to the cartilaginous fish of the Katran-like order. Such a streamlined body shape helps the shark move in the water very quickly, ahead of many representatives of reservoirs. The entire shark is covered with small scales, which usually have grey colour, smoothly turning into white closer to the belly. However, you can often find individuals whose sides are covered with small white spots of irregular shape. It is this species that is called spotted.
The head of the animal is flattened from above and below, and the snout is pointed. The eyes are small, oval and hardly noticeable when they are closed, which helps the individual to be less vulnerable to possible enemies. In the mouth of each individual there are several rows of small and extremely sharp teeth that resemble fangs in shape.
One of the features is the rapid replacement of teeth when they are lost or worn down. When all the teeth are worn down, new ones quickly appear in their place. This allows the predator to be always ready to hunt prey and tear it into small pieces for ease of consumption. In the mouth of each individual, there are at least a hundred teeth.
There are spikes in front of the back and front fins located on the back. In the first, the spike is high and almost reaches the height of the fin, in the second it is less pronounced, and its length is not more than 3 cm. One of the features of this species, which makes it possible to distinguish it from others, will be the absence of an anal fin, which other similar fish have.
For the speed of movement in water, the tail of the katran is very important, which acts as a balancer and rudder when swimming. It is worth noting that the shark moves simply with lightning speed, leaving the victim no chance of salvation.
The katran fish is widespread in many water bodies. You can meet her in the oceans, the Indian and pacific ocean, as well as in water bodies of Australia, Japan and Argentina. If we talk about the territory of Russia, you can meet the katran shark in the Black Sea, where it feels quite comfortable.
The Bering and Okhotsk Seas are also rich in this type of cartilaginous fish. There have been cases when an individual was found near California. An interesting feature fish is considered to be able to migrate over very long distances. This was confirmed by tagging one shark, which was subsequently released at the same location and caught at a distance approximately 7 years later.
As a rule, the katran does not sail far into the open sea, but with insufficient food, it is able to forget about caution and swim quite far. Prefers an individual to live closer to the bottom, and in some cases you can meet flocks of katrans. If the temperature of the water near the bottom falls sharply, individuals rise closer to the surface.
It is noted that the species does not tolerate high and low temperatures water. It is for this reason that it cannot be found in the cold waters of Antarctica and the hot climate of tropical waters. If the upper layers of the reservoir are very hot, individuals can descend to a depth of more than 100 meters, where a comfortable temperature is maintained. There is also a large number of small fish, which also does not tolerate high temperatures.
The shortfin spiny shark is not among the most dangerous marine predators, but its diet is quite varied . As a rule, she prefers small fish:
Despite the awesome appearance and more than a hundred teeth, animals themselves often become prey for large birds. Especially often they are caught by seagulls, raised above the surface of the water, carried to the shore to be smashed against stones and pecked.
It is noted that in the reservoirs where the katrans live, the number of dolphins decreases every year. Scientists have concluded that sea dogs hunt dolphins in packs, because they cannot cope with such a prey alone.
The life expectancy of each individual in a natural reservoir is about 25 years. It can be attributed to long-livers. Quite late comes the period of puberty in the katran. As a rule, an individual reaches 10-12 years before reproducing offspring:
An interesting feature of this variety of cartilaginous fish is that they choose a couple for themselves for life and try to spend it with a partner. This is a rare trait for such individuals.
The life expectancy of each individual of the katran in the conditions of a natural reservoir is about 25 years.
For amateurs and professional fishermen, the katran often becomes a real problem, as it damages the nets and destroys the catch. In the middle of 1950, Japan even established a reward for those fishermen who can catch this predator.
Currently, fish is considered valuable for the food and pharmaceutical industries. It has been established that there is many times more valuable fat in the liver of the katran than in the liver of cod and other fish. That is why the shark is appreciated. Its meat also has unique taste and beneficial properties for the human body.
Meat is especially valued in Norway, where it is actively consumed, and they also prefer to use katran eggs in cooking, which, according to scientists, contain several times more protein than chicken eggs. However, not in all countries the use of products from spiny sharks is so common.
In most countries, its meat is served under the guise of other, more common fish. In addition to valuable fat, it contains many vitamins., for example, a large amount of retinol. This makes the product even more valuable.
Currently, katran fish is considered valuable for the food and pharmaceutical industries. The cartilage of individuals, from which chondroprotective preparations are made for the treatment of various pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, also becomes useful for humans. The fins and heads are also prized as they secrete a sticky substance used to make glue.
The catch of the Black Sea shark is not large-scale, but at present the individual is included in the list of vulnerable animals, which in the coming years may completely disappear or greatly reduce their numbers. This is due to the fact that the period of bearing cubs is quite long, and their number decreases every year.
For humans, the Black Sea shark is not dangerous. For many centuries, not a single case has been known when these animals attacked a person, although in the Black Sea they quite often intersect with people.
