#requiemshark

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DISCLAIMER: The shark in the photo is being studied, it is not being harmed! • Species Profile No. 15: The Night Shark (Carcharhinus signatus) • The night shark is a medium-sized shark that mainly lives along the outer continental shelf. They spend their days in deep water, and come up to the shallows to hunt at night. Their nocturnal hunting pattern is how they earned their name! Some of their notable physical features are their pointy snouts and beautiful green eyes. • Night sharks are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Their reproduction is a bit faster than some of the other Carcharhinus sharks we’ve covered, but females still don’t mature till about 10 years of age, and are pregnant for a full year before giving birth to litters of 4-18 pups. • The population and population trend of night sharks is largely unknown. They are heavily accessible to fisheries, and are targeted for their meat and fins. They are mostly caught in shallow waters, but are also targeted near sea mounds, where they tend to congregate. They are also victims of bycatch, particularly longline fisheries. • Night sharks are part of a few management plans, and should benefit from several driftnet and finning bans that are in place - but all of these measures are poorly enforced. There is very limited data on night shark populations and harvest, so there’s no way to know whether these measures have been effective in any way. The IUCN recommends that this species receive more protection under national and international law, as well as better habitat management. More research is needed on almost every aspect of night shark population, harvest, and ecology. • To help obscure species like the night shark, please support Shark Advocates International and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. •••••••••••••••••••••••• #shark #sharks #carcharhinus #nightshark #requiemshark #education #sharkeducation #conservation #savesharks #helpsavesharks https://www.instagram.com/p/BtOfRSABqE6/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=18du1v50dp01s

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Species Profile No. 13: The Borneo Shark (Carcharhinus borneensis) • The Borneo shark is a very small species of requiem shark, with most adults reaching around 26 inches in length. Very little is known about these rare sharks. One fun fact is that they’re the only shark in the Carcharhinus genus with large pores around their mouth! • Borneo sharks are the only Carcharhinus species to be listed as Endangered. This shark is so poorly understood that their reproduction and threats are not well known. It is likely that fishing operations have negatively impacted them. • The fact that so little is known about this Endangered shark highlights a need for more shark research. Many people believe that saving sharks is as simple as banning shark finning, but conservation is much more complex. With species like the Borneo shark, fisheries could be impacting their population, but it could also be other issues like pollution. Understanding the population and biology of a species is the first step in saving it. • To help obscure species like the spiny Borneo shark, please support Shark Advocates International and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. ••••••••••••••••••••• #shark #sharks #requiemshark #carcharhinus #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks #borneoshark #borneo #education https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs9AntBlqOp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=8ybp2qn8mnuy

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Species Profile No. 10: The Silvertip Shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) • The silvertip shark is a large species of requiem shark. They are powerful predators. They often eat smaller sharks, and outcompete shark species that are around their own size. They also eat bony fishes, cephalopods, and rays. They are named for the beautiful white tips of their fins! • Silvertip sharks are globally listed as Vulnerable. Females carry their pups for around a year, with 1-11 pups being born per litter. As with other shark species, slow reproduction has left silvertips vulnerable to overfishing. • The silvertip shark is not used much in the shark fin trade. They are targeted for their meat, teeth, jaws, and oil. They are also frequently caught as bycatch, mostly by tuna and longline fisheries. When they are caught as bycatch, they are usually kept and killed for their meat, fins, etc. • This species is not specifically mentioned in any sort of shark protection management plans, quotas, etc. There are some regulations, like fishermen having to report bycatch, that theoretically benefit these sharks, but in reality these measures are poorly enforced. As a result, silvertip sharks have no real protection. • To help obscure species like the silvertip shark, please support Shark Advocates International and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group. •••••••••••••••••••••••• #silvertipshark #silvertip #shark #sharks #carcharhinus #requiemshark #sharkeducation #sharkconservation #dontfearthefin #replacefearwithfacts #savesharks #savethesharks #helpsavesharks https://www.instagram.com/p/BqxuTUvFq41/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wtxj6e1732wk

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Species profile no. 9: The Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) • We’re continuing to feature the Carcharhinus Family! The silky shark is another species of requiem shark. They are pelagic, and prefer warm waters in the Atlantic. They normally swim close to the surface, but can dive up to 1,600 feet deep! While they’re most common in the open ocean, they are sometimes found in shallow reef areas. Young silkies often shelter in reef nurseries, and pupping occurs in the Gulf of Mexico. The silky shark’s favorite prey is tuna, which it follows through the ocean. They will also eat other fish and cephalopods. They sometimes herd prey into tight groups, making it easier to rush in and get a mouthful of food! This tactic is known as driving prey into a bait ball, and is often only attributed to species like dolphins. This may be evidence that sharks are smarter than most people think! • Silky sharks are globally listed as Vulnerable. Like many of their close relatives, they have slow reproduction. Females are pregnant for around 12 months before giving birth to litters of around 12 pups. They can have anywhere from 1-16 pups in a litter, with more pups being produced by bigger females. While silky sharks, as well as their close relatives - the oceanic whitetip and blue shark - are the most common pelagic sharks, their slow reproduction makes them vulnerable to overfishing. • The silky shark is caught and killed more than any other shark in the world, besides the blue shark. They are caught as bycatch and killed on purpose - in either situation, they are prized for their meat, fins, oil, and jaws. (Continued in comments) ••••••••••••••••••• #silkyshark #shark #carcharhinus #requiemshark #silky #savesharks #helpsavesharks #savethesharks #sharkeducation #marinelife #conservation #stopsharkfinning #stopoverfishing https://www.instagram.com/p/BquvA8XFdHH/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=8ctoj80z0ax0

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The Hypotenuse Of A Bull Shark. . Man, throwing in Pythagorean terms in my nature pics is just lazy writing. I blame Day Light Savings Time. Or, maybe I’m angling for more sleep. . That was geometry pun. . I’ll shut up now. . . . #bullshark #shark #sharks #requiemshark #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #naturephotography #natureaddict #naturelovers #animallover #animalphotography #underwaterphotography #cagediving #adventure #biminiscubacenter #pythagoras #hypotenuse (at Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu1Km3EBluR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vunjukcf3jm0

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The famed Bimini Running Of The Bulls! . I’ve seen bull sharks from the surface before, but this was the first time that I was actually in the water with them (in a cage because I’m made of meat). . Wow, what a hulking brute of a shark. Now I get why they have the reputation that they do. This is a shark to be taken very seriously. . . . #bullshark #shark #sharkcagediving #requiemshark #biminiscubacenter #naturephotography #nature #naturelovers #natureaddict #wildlifephotography #wildlife #animallover #animalphotography #bimini #bahamas #ecotourism (at Neal Watson's Bimini Scuba Center) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs8GWw1BRYQ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=iauh7lqmb56n

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Species Profile No. 8: The Bignose Shark (Carcharhinus altimus). • The bignose shark is a species of requiem shark. If its name sounds familiar, it may be because we’ve already covered some members of the Carcharhinus genus - the oceanic whitetip, sandbar, and dusky shark are all in this family as well! In fact, bignose sharks are in the “obscurus” group of the genus, which is named after the dusky shark. Bignose sharks mostly hunt along the seafloor, which means they mostly live in deep water and are rarely seen by humans. • The bignose shark is globally listed as Data Deficient. It is unknown whether their population is increasing or decreasing or how large the population is. We do know a few details about their reproduction! Like other requiem sharks, they give birth to live young. Females have a 10 month gestation and usually give birth to around seven pups, but litters can contain anywhere from 3-15 baby sharks. They mature around 21 years of age. Their current population trend is unknown, but given their slow rate of reproduction, they are certainly as vulnerable to decimation by overfishing as their close relatives. • Bignose sharks aren’t specifically targeted by fisheries, but are still caught and killed. Some are killed as bycatch by longline and gillnet fisheries. If bignose sharks are caught accidentally, they are still used for their meat, fins, and oil. They are sometimes killed on purpose by fishermen who mistake them for sandbar sharks, which look similar to bignose sharks, but are more valuable. (Continued in comments) •••••• #shark #bignoseshark #requiemshark #sharks #savesharks #helpsavesharks #savethesharks https://www.instagram.com/p/BqsQUyGlE4e/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2d7jgasqc3b5

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Species Profile No.7: The Dusky Shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) • The Dusky Shark is a large requiem shark; it is a close relative of some of the species that we have already covered, such as the sandbar shark and oceanic whitetip. Dusky sharks are opportunistic feeders, and will eat basically anything that they can! They eat bony fish, other sharks and rays, marine mammals, sea turtles, sea stars, crustaceans, dead animals, and even garbage. • The dusky shark is globally listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, with an overall decrease in population. Males become sexually mature at 18-23 years of age, and females mature at 17-32 years. They are viviparous, with pregnancy lasting 22-24 months. Litters usually contain 6-12 pups, but some females give birth to as little as 3. Females usually wait a year after giving birth before becoming pregnant again, so they only give birth once every three years. This slow rate of reproduction makes them vulnerable to overfishing. • Dusky sharks have meat, fins, and liver oil that is considered extremely valuable, even in comparison to other shark species. As a result, they are targeted by large fisheries in many areas of its range. It is also frequently caught as bycatch due to unsustainable fishing methods like longlines and driftnets. • Dusky sharks have been added to some conservation and protection plans, but little progress has been made on actually protecting them. There is a management policy in the US and Canada that requires all dusky sharks be immediately released if captured accidentally, and this measure seems to be effective so far. The IUCN states that there needs to be more research on this species, as well as stricter policies and monitoring. • To help obscure species like the dusky shark, please support Shark Advocates International and the IUCN Shark Specialist Group •••••••••••••••••••••••• #duskyshark #shark #requiemshark #savesharks #helpsavesharks #savethesharks #stopoverfishing #stopsharkfinning https://www.instagram.com/p/BqIRwi5FwBK/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ttozn5zf1zap