#requiem sharks

[just-here-for-shark-stuff]

Do you know any cool facts about the Copper shark they’re my favorite shark because copper is my favorite metal:)))

Hey, thanks for your ask!! Sorry to leave this in my inbox for so long, a friend and I took a weekend to drive to a couple aquariums and I've been wiped with all the driving!

Anyway, copper sharks!

The copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus) is one of those sharks that has lots of names depending on where you are in the world! They're also called bronze whalers and narrowtooths - these names come from their distinctive hook-shaped upper teeth (used to snag fish!) and the whaler nickname is derived from how these sharks are one of the species that used to be notorious for following whaling vessels looking for scraps. You'll also see them called New Zealand whalers, cocktail sharks, and cocktail whalers! Truly a shark of many names.

Here's some cool facts about them you might not know!

Populations off the coast of South Africa have been observed "working with" dolphin pods! We don't know if this collab is intentional by either party, but what's happening is the dolphins are corralling migrating sardines into what's called bait balls, a pretty common dolphin hunting strategy, and the sharks congregate around these and help keep the sardines in that formation by hovering around them from below. It's pretty cool and it happens every winter!

Copper sharks are solitary, migratory sharks, but they're still known to hunt in groups to get numbers on their side. They've even been observed using a similar strategy to dolphins, herding fish into a ball and then letting individual sharks swim through the ball for a bite!

Their species name, brachyurus, means "short tail." That's an easy way to identify them from similar requiem sharks - look at that stubby tail!

[uncharismatic-fauna]

When Life Gives You Lemon Sharks

The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is a species of shark found in warm subtropical waters, mangroves, and coral reefs along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North, Central, and South America, as well as parts of the west African coast. On the Pacific side its range extends from the Gulf of California to Ecuador, and on the Atlantic side they can range from the northern United States all the way to Argentina; they also reside prolifically in the Caribbean sea. Along the African coast they range from Mauritania to Namibia.

Lemon sharks are named for their distinctive yellow coloring; this serves as excellent camouflage against the sand as it searches for prey. Conversely, their light underbellies disguises them against the bright sunlight when viewed from below. Adults can range from 2.4 to 3.1 m (7.9 to 10.2 ft) in length, and weigh up to 90 kg (200 lb); females are slightly larger than males.

Like all sharks, N, brevirostris is carnivorous. They hunt at night, and feed on a wide variety of fish, crustaceans, and invertebrates, most notably catfish, porcupine fish, cowfish, guitarfish, rays, crabs and crayfish; they may also opportunistically feed on sea birds and smaller sharks. Adults have no predators, but juvenile lemon sharks may fall prey to larger sharks including those of their own species.

Lemon sharks are loosely social, congregating in groups, called 'shivers' of up to 20 individuals of the same size. During the breeding season, in the spring and summer, these groups travel to special mating grounds where they may gather in the hundreds. Females mate with several males. 12 months later the mothers travel to shallower nursery waters in mangroves or estuaries and give live birth to up to 19 pups. These pups remain in the nursery for about 6 years, after which they disperse. Young reach sexual maturity at 12-15 years old, and adults may live up to 29 years in the wild.

Conservation status: The lemon shark is considered Vulnerable by the IUCN. Its main threat is from overfishing, as the species is prised for its meat, fins, and skin. They are also frequently targeted as a potential threat to humans, despite being relatively non-aggressive.

Photos

Albert Kok

Ken Bondy

Serge Melesan

[antiqueanimals]

Blue shark (Prionace glauca), Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), School shark (Galeorhinus galeus)

Fishes of the World. Written by Hans Hvass. Illustrated by Wilhelm Eigener. Originally published in 1964.

Internet Archive

[professional-unprofessional]

Mmmmmore sharks! Sorry about my finger in the video, I was trying to watch the sharks myself while I videotaped. Also, you don’t really need to turn on sound for the video, because it’s just random aquarium buzz. Pretty loud actually. :(

[sharkfactoftheday]

There are currently believed to be no more than 250 daggernose sharks in existence and the species may be in reproductive collapse, meaning it is likely to go extinct very soon.

[anthropophagiie]

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Can you guess where the shovelhead shark got its name? It's because its head-- wait for it-- looks like a shovel! This is particularly true of males, which have a distinctive bulge in the center of their foreheads, creating the very distinct impression of a spade, while females have a much flatter head. This distinguishing feature also gives the bonnethead shark the unique position of being the only shark species that exhibits sexual dimorphism through the shape of the head.

(Image: A male bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo) by Gerard Soury

[just-here-for-shark-stuff]

Daily Shark Facts - 9/29/2025

Today's shark is the bronze whaler!

The basics: also called copper sharks or narrowmouth sharks, the bronze whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus) is a large, temperate-water requiem shark that averages around 10 feet long. Bronze whalers are active hunters, feeding on bony fish and known to hunt in groups. They're the only sharks in their genus that are found in temperate rather than tropical waters, and several distinct populations with little overlap exist off the coast of South Africa in the Atlantic and then in the Pacific around Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Conservation status: vulnerable worldwide. These are migratory, open-ocean sharks, and their exact numbers aren't known, but they have long reproduction times, making them extremely vulnerable from over-fishing. They are fished for their meat and fins. Populations off South Africa, Australia, and Aotearoa are all protected by regulations and are assessed as least concern.

Today's fun fact: the name "whaler" dates back to when whaling ships were common in their home range during the 19th century. The crews on whaling ships would notice these sharks (among other species, some of which also still carry the "whaler" nickname today) hanging around or even following whaling ships, waiting for any chance to get in on the pickings of harpooned whales.