The sand tiger shark is a shark species of dwelling in the subtropical and temperate waters worldwide. They live in Japan, Australia, South Africa and the east coast of North and South America. The last known record in the Mediterranean was a specimen caught in Adriatic Sea off Molat island (Croatia), in 2003. It is a relatively calm and slow moving shark species that caused no confirmed human casualties despite being large and having a scary appearance. The largest sand tiger shark individual which is observed between the depths of 0-200 meters was recorded to be 3.2 meters long and the oldest individual was recorded to be 30-35 years old. They are ovoviviparous (the egg hatches in the uterus and the hatchling comes out alive). Eggs hatching from the mother's uterus demonstrate adelphophagy-embryophagy (cannibalism) behavior. One or two of the strongest individuals can survive to come to life.
Epinephelus striatus species dwell at areas close to the reefs. They are distributed between the depths of 0-255 meters. They have an average lifespan of 17 years. They are distributed in the west of the Atlantic Ocean; within and around the Caribbean Sea, on the island of Bermuda, around Florida and the Bahamas. They are endangered at a critical level due to the destruction of reefs and excessive commercial and sport fishing. This grouper species is considered a monandric protogynous hermaphrodite. In other words, both male and female gonads mature in the offspring. They may later take on the dominant gender depending on the environmental conditions they live in. They usually gather as large schools to mate during the full moon in December, January and February. They lay their eggs in form of clusters and the number of eggs in these clusters can reach around 100,000. The eggs hatch within 48 hours and approximately the first 35 days is called the larval stage.
The eagle ray has spread from the British Isles to Africa and to the Atlantic Ocean, including the Indian Ocean and the North Sea. It is also observed in the coastal waters or off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It can reach 183 cm in length including the tail and 80 cm in width. Female individuals are larger than the males. The glandular tissue in the tail used for injecting venom extends along 10% to 40% of the tail. They have one or two venom discharge channels. While they live in waters close to the shore they can also be seen in waters reaching to depths of 537m. In nature, they feed on crustaceans and molluscs they harvest from the sea floor. They do not have sharp teeth but plates in the form of hexagonal rods. They feed by crushing their prey with these. They are ovoviviparous, in other words, the eggs continue to develop in the mother's body until they hatch alive. The gestation period of eagle rays is 6 to 8 months and giving birth to 3 to 7 individuals. The average lifespan of eagle rays is 15-20 years.
Fiddler fish demonstrate are distribution from the coasts of Spain to the coasts of Angola in the east of the Atlantic Ocean. They are spread down to the Mediterranean coasts. They are seen between the depths of 0-180 meters. They have an average length of 80 cm, but the largest fiddler fish recorded was 147 cm. They are ovoviviparous, in other words, the eggs continue to develop in the mother's body until they hatch alive. 4 to 10 embryos develop in the mother's uterus with only one or two of them usually survive. The gestation period is about four months. The average lifespan of fiddler fish is 14 years.
The cownose stingray is a species of eagle ray living in the coast waters of Africa and the Mediterranean Sea. Their average lifespan is 27,5 years. They are seen between the depths of 0-100 meters. Their width can reach 2 meters.
Scyliorhinus stellaris is a cat shark species belonging to the Scliorhinidae family that dwell in a wide range of areas such as Norway, Sweden, Senegal, off the coast of Britain, the Marmara Sea, the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the Canary Islands. They are usually found among rocks or algae at depths of 0-400 meters. They can grow up to 1.6 m in length. S.stellaris is distinguishable by its large and round skull with two dorsal fins and a mottled skin. S.stellaris is a nocturnal species. They usually hide in small holes during the day. Their reproduction is oviparous (fertilization internally and development externally). It takes 7-12 months for the eggs to hatch (figure 1.). Female individuals lay 2 thick-walled egg cases in their environment one at a time. Being a benthic predator, S.stellaris feeds on various bony fish, crustaceans and cephalopods. It is rated Vulnarable (VU) by IUCN since overfishing caused its population in the Mediterranean Sea to decrease significantly.
Scyliorhinus canicula species is dwells in an area from the eastern Atlantic Ocean to the Marmara Sea, Aegean Sea, Mediterranean Sea and Senegal. It is a species of cat shark from the Scyliorhinidae family. It is a benthic species and lives in sandy and muddy grounds from very shallow waters to the depths of 800 m. They feed on benthic invertebrates (molluscs and crustaceans) and fish. It is an oviparous species and may reproduce all year round. Their first sexual maturity length is around 35-45 cm. It can reach 1 meter in length and 2 kg in weight. Fished abundantly with trawls especially in the northern Aegean Sea, this species has no importance for Turkish fisheries.
Raja radula is a stingray species distributed in the Mediterranean Sea. They live on sandy, muddy surfaces. They are distributed between the depths of 0-350 meters. It is a nocturnal species. The upper part of their body has a pattern in the form of two large dots in yellow and white. Male individuals are distinguished from females by their copulatory organs. Their reproduction is oviparous. They hatch in a period of 4-6 months. They feed on benthic organisms (fish, crabs, shrimps, molluscs). Their average lifespan is 9 years.
Gentoo penguins, also known as the world's most romantic animals and the third largest in Antarctica, are seabirds that live in communities, whose homeland is the South Pole. These cute animals, which stand out with the white spots on their heads and red/orange beaks, live mostly in ice-free areas such as valleys, cliffs and coasts, on the islands that form the Antarctic continent, and are resistant to quite harsh climates.
Gentoo penguins, whose length can vary between 50 - 90 cm and weigh up to 6 kilos, come right after the emperor penguin and king penguin in terms of size. Gentoo penguins, the fastest swimming penguin species, can survive underwater for seven minutes and reach a speed of 35 km/h. Being carnivorous, these penguins are interested in mostly crustaceans, small fish and squid.
Although their extinction is not threatened, the average lifespan of Gentoo penguins, which is constantly decreasing worldwide, is 15 - 20 years. Among Gentoo penguins, who usually build their nests from small stones that come together, there may be jealousy and even fights between these stones. Males attract the attention of these commercial mating females by gifting them with their teeth. In these penguins, which can live monogamously until the end of their lives and are known as "the most romantic animals in the world", the male and female share the incubation process of their eggs by incubating them alternately.
Species such as sea lions, leopard seals and killer whales are natural enemies that prey on Gentoo penguins. Human activities such as hunting and oil exploration pose threats to Gentoo penguins.
Siberian sturgeon is found in all major Siberian river basins flowing into the Yenisei (Lake Baikal and the Angara River) and East Siberian rivers. They also live in the Irtysh river in Kazakhstan and China. The average lifespan of Siberian sturgeon is 60 years. Male and female individuals reach reproductive maturity between 11-24 years of age and between 20-28 years of age, respectively. Siberian Sturgeon is farmed for both its meat and caviar. France is the biggest producer of its caviar while it is China and Russia are the biggest producers of its meat.
Russian Sturgeon lives in Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Ukraine. It can reach 235cm in length and 115kg in weight.
