Bumpytail ragged-tooth shark

Odontaspis ferox

Sharks and rays
IUCN: Endangered

Usual depth155–637 m
Water temperature12–28 °C
Best monthsJuly
How commonRare

Photo credit: (c) NOAA Photo Library, alcuni diritti riservati (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

The smalltooth sand tiger or bumpytail ragged-tooth is a species of mackerel shark in the family Odontaspididae, with a patchy but worldwide distribution in tropical and warm temperate waters. They usually inhabit deepwater rocky habitats, though they are occasionally encountered in shallow water, and have been known to return to the same location year after year. This rare species is often mistaken for the much more common sand tiger shark, from which it can be distinguished by its first dorsal fin, which is larger than the second and placed further forward. It grows to at least 5.2 m (17 ft) in length. They have also been recently sighted in Irish and English waters.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Smalltooth sand tiger”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 3 records
February: 4 records
March: 4 records
April: 6 records
May: 13 records
June: 5 records
July: 22 records
August: 7 records
September: 4 records
October: 3 records
November: 9 records
December: 1 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 155–637 m · Deepest record: 917 m

30–40 m: 2 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 1 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110–120 m: 1 records
120–130 m: 0 records
130–140 m: 0 records
140+ m: 37 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 12–28 °C

12–14 °C: 1 records
14–16 °C: 1 records
16–18 °C: 12 records
18–20 °C: 24 records
20–22 °C: 13 records
22–24 °C: 9 records
24–26 °C: 4 records
26–28 °C: 11 records
28–30 °C: 1 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Bumpytail ragged-tooth shark, Fierce shark, Herbsts (or Herbst’s) nurse shark, Ragged-tooth, Ragged-tooth shark, Sand tiger shark, Blue nurse shark, bumpytail raggedtooth, Bumpytail Ragged-tooth, bumpytail ragged-tooth shark, Deepwater Nurse Shark, Fierce odontaspis, fierce shark, Herbsts-nurse-shark, Herbst's Nurse Shark, Herbsts Nurse Shark, ragged-tooth, ragged-tooth shark, Sand Shark, sand tiger shark, smalltooth sand tiger, Smalltooth sand tiger, Smalltooth Sandtiger, Smalltooth-sand-tiger-shark, Small-tooth Sand Tiger Shark, Smalltooth Sand Tiger Shark, tiger ragged-tooth

Names in 5 more languages

German: Kleinzahn-Sandtigerhai, Schildzahnhai
Spanish: salroig, Salroig, solraig, Solraig, solrayo, Solrayo, surraig, Surraig, Tiburón arenero tigre de dientes pequeños, tiburón dientes de perro, Tiburón-dientes-de-perro, Tiburón solrayo
French: Odontaspide féroce, Requin, Requin Feroce, requin féroce, Requin féroce, Squale féroce
Japanese: Owanizame, Ôwanizame, オオワニザメ
Simplified Chinese: 兇猛砂錐齒鯊, 凶猛砂錐齒鯊

Other scientific names: Carcharias ferox, Odontaspis herbsti, Squalus ferox

Similar species

Bigeye sand tiger
Odontaspis noronhai
Blue nurse shark
Carcharias taurus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
96 open-data records from 1810 to 2024.
Species data updated November 5, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist