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Oceanic Whitetip Shark ( Carcharhinus longimanus ). By: Sam Kraybill and Troy Fort. Geographical Range. I prefer deep ocean water of about 18 degrees. Lies mainly between 45° N and 43° S latitude. I spend most of my time in water of about 150 meters. Physical Traits.
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Oceanic WhitetipShark(Carcharhinuslongimanus) By: Sam Kraybill and Troy Fort
Geographical Range • I prefer deep ocean water of about 18 degrees. • Lies mainly between 45° N and 43° S latitude. • I spend most of my time in water of about 150 meters.
Physical Traits • Long, wing like pectoral fins make me very recognizable. • Color varies from brown to yellow to bronze depending on my geographical region. • I grow to around 10 feet in length and about 370 lbs. Females are usually about 4 inches longer than males. • My upper jaw contains broad, triangular, serrated teeth, while the bottoms are only serrated at the tip. • I have nictitating membranes which are eyelids which close to protect its eyes when biting.
Diet and Feeding Habits • I feed on bony fish such as: lancetfish, oarfish, barracuda, dolphinfish, marlin and tuna. • I also eats stingrays, sea turtles, sea birds, gastropods, crustaceans and mammalian carrion. • You can tell by my diet that the whitetip shark has evolved to eat whatever comes its way because it has no room to be a picky eater way out in the center of the ocean. • I find my prey using the sensitive area at the snout of the shark called the ampullae of Lorenziniwhich contain small jelly-filled sacs sensitive to small electrical impulses.
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/36697-ultimate-guide-to-sharks-ampullae-of-lorenzini-video.htmhttp://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/36697-ultimate-guide-to-sharks-ampullae-of-lorenzini-video.htm
Predators • Larger sharks pose a major danger to adolescent whitetips.
Survival of the Oceanic Whitetip • My number one threat is humans. • Sharks have long meaty fins that make it an excellent choice for fishermen to catch for sharkfin soup, a delicacy in certain Asian countries. • The fishermen catch the adults at such a high rate that the species doesn’t have enough time to repopulate. • Because of this, the species is vulnerable to extinction.
Reproduction • Mating takes place in the early summer in the NW Atlantic Ocean and SW Indian Ocean. • Interestingly, the female sharks like me are viviparous meaning that the eggs hatch inside of the mother and are then born alive. • Year long gestation period. • Usually gives birth to 1-15 pups.
Behavior • My relationship with the Shortfin Pilot whale make me interesting • In Hawaii I follow the Pilot Whales when they dive so that I may more easily feed on the squid with the whales. • I am typically solitary and move slowly. • Except when ships come around I’ve been known to follow them for vast distances.
Fun Facts • A famed oceanographer named Jacques Cousteau called me the most dangerous shark in the ocean. • I am accredited with the most casualties towards humans. • During WWII when the USS Indianapolis was sank by a German submarine I was thought to have caused the deaths of approximately ¼ of those who survived the initial sinking.
Bibliography • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oceanic_whitetip_shark • http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=89 • http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/OceanicWT/OceanicWT.html • http://www.arkive.org/oceanic-whitetip-shark/carcharhinus-longimanus/ • http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/36697-ultimate-guide-to-sharks-ampullae-of-lorenzini-video.htm • http://voices.yahoo.com/fun-facts-information-oceanic-whitetip-3695946.html