English Name: Small Tooth Sand Tiger Shark
Local Name: Theyo Miyaru, Meedhaa Miyaru
Size: Max. 3.6 m
Family: ODONTASPIDIDAE
Order: Lamniformes
Distinctive Characters: A large, bulky shark. Snout moderately elongated and roundly conical. Eyes moderately large. Distinctive, long, narrow sharp teeth with 2 cusplets on each side. Typically 4 (sometimes 3) rows of small teeth on each side of upper jaw between large anterior and lateral teeth.
Colour: Grey; pale below. May be spotted.
Habitat and Biology: Occurs in deep continental and insular shelves and upper slopes at depths of 13-420m. Feeds on small bony fishes, squids and shrimps. Takes smaller and possible less active prey. Reproduction is unknown in this species but presumably ovoviviparous.
Distribution: Temperate and tropical waters.
Remarks: Odontaspis ferox is sometimes caught by bottom-set gillnets laid down at the reef slopes. More commonly it is caught by deep vertical long lines set outside the atolls for spiny dogfish (‘kashi miyaru keyolhu kan’). Its Dhivehi names includes ‘Theyo miyaru’ (oil shark, on account of its large liver) and ‘Meedhaa miyaru’ (rat shark, on account of its appearance). Not implicated in attacks on people.