A story of mistaken identity: the ragged-toothed shark (Carcharias taurus, Rafinesque 1810) and the story of a misunderstood creature. Ngcongwane, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State: QwaQwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, Kestell Road, 9999 (+27)79 964 7598 [email protected]“Shark! There's a shark in the water! Perhaps one of the scariest phrases you will ever encounter when you are on the beach sunbathing or taking a walk. This fearsome predator that causes people to curl up in their swimsuits and leave their surfboards at home; it really has a hold on humans. But it was never really like that... until a certain director decided to make a movie about sharks. We will discuss this later in the essay. But undoubtedly one of the largest animals on the planet and one of the oceans' top predators, sharks are an oceanic force dating back to the Silurian era (SharkSavers 2014) and haven't looked back since. It was over 400 million years ago! Not only do they keep ecosystems in check and control prey numbers in the face of population booms (Griffith et al 2008), but they also balance food chains in the ocean; for healthy ecosystems. And one of these sharks is the ragged tooth shark (gray nurse shark, sand tiger shark), scientifically known as Carcharias taurus. With the look and reputation of a terrifying horror monster movie, the ragged-toothed (raggy) shark is a favorite in aquariums around the world, due to its ability to survive well in captivity, and is also a tourist attraction in parts of Australia (Barker et al 2011). While the ragged is meant to be dangerous, it is actually a docile creature and this essay will explore the reasons why the ragged, and all...... middle of paper ......harias Taurus , Rafinesque 1810) in New South Wales, Australia. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 6:1-20.RITTER, EK 2000. Sand tiger sharks. In: GODNECKT, AJ, GUEX, GD AND KINDLIMANN, RJ (Eds.): SharkInfo. http://www.sharkinfo.ch/index_e.html (accessed May 8, 2014).SHARKSAVERS. 2014. 450 million years of sharks. http://www.sharksavers.org/en/education/biology/450-million-years-of-sharks1/. (Accessed May 12, 2014)SMALE, MJ, BOOTH, AJ, FARQUHAR, MR, MEŸER, MR AND ROCHAT, L. 2012. Migration and habitat use of formerly captive and wild serrated tooth sharks (Carcharias taurus) on the southeast coast. from South Africa. Research in Marine Biology 8 (2): 115-128.AQUARIUM DES DEUX OCEANS. 2014. Jagged-tooth shark – Exhibition. http://www.aquarium.co.za/species_exhibits/browse_species/ragged-tooth_shark/. (Accessed May 5 2014)