Carcharhinus longimanus
Oceanic Whitetip Shark [+]
Description & Behavior
The oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey, 1861), aka white-tipped shark, whitetip oceanic shark and whitetip shark, is a large stocky shark with a huge, rounded first dorsal fin and long, wide-tipped pectoral fins. The snout is blunt and rounded; upper teeth triangular; interdorsal ridge present. The dorsal side is usually dark gray with a bronze tinge, sometimes brown or blue; white ventral side, sometimes with a yellow tinge; the tips off first dorsal, pectorals, and lower lobe of caudal are often white or have white spots. The ventral surface of the pelvic fins, apices (tips) of anal and second dorsal fins, and ventral lobe of the caudal fin often have black spots and black or dusky saddle-marks are found in front of second dorsal fin and upper margin of the caudal fin. Up to 4 m total length; maximum weight: 168 kg; maximum reported age: 22 years.
An oceanic deep-water species which sometimes comes close to shore. Found from the surface to depths of at least 150 m. Frequently accompanied by remora, Coryphaena, pilot fishes and sea turtles.
One of the more interesting facets of the oceanic whitetip's behavior is its association with the shortfin pilot whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus, off Hawaii, as described by Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch (1988). Oceanic whitetips are often found swimming with big pods of pilot whales, and often follow the whales when they dive down into the depths. The reason whitetips hang around pilot whales is not known, but it is presumed that the sharks follow the whales to feed on squid found at depth by the whales. This behavior likely occurs in Hawai''in waters, and other areas where pilot whales and whitetips share habitat.
World Range & Habitat
Western Atlantic: Maine, USA to Argentina; also in Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean; Eastern Atlantic: Portugal to Gulf of Guinea; possibly occurring in the Mediterranean; Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the Hawaiian, Samoan, Tahiti and Tuamoto islands; Eastern Pacific: southern California, USA to Peru, including the Galapagos. Oceanic whitetip sharks are a highly migratory species.
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
Oceanic whitetip sharks feed on oceanic bony fishes, including tuna and mahimahi, threadfins, stingrays, sea turtles, sea birds, gastropods, squid, crustaceans, mammal carrion and sometimes even garbage.
Life History
There is a pronounced partial segregation by size and sex in some areas. Viviparous; litter size 1-15 pups; 60-65 cm at birth. Distinct pairing with embrace.
Conservation Status/Additional Comments
This is an active, almost fearless shark also associated with human attacks. MarineBio considers this shark the most potentially dangerous after great whites, tiger, and bull sharks, especially for open-ocean divers. This species is likely responsible for open-ocean attacks following air or sea disasters. Oceanic whitetips can be very aggressive and unpredictable in the presence of potential prey. Sold commercially fresh, frozen, smoked, and dried-salted for human consumption; hides for leather, fins for shark fin soup, liver oil for vitamins, and processed into fishmeal.
This species is a widespread and common large pelagic shark of warm oceanic waters. It presumably has a low reproductive capacity, but is extremely abundant and wide-ranging and is subject to fishery pressure as a common bycatch species with tuna and other pelagic species. This bycatch is reportedly either inadequately reported or unrecorded. The fins are highly prized in trade although the carcass is often discarded. Fishery pressure is likely to persist, if not increase in future, and the impact of this fishing pressure is presently unknown.
The oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, is listed as Vulnerable (VU A2ad+3d+4ad) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species:
VULNERABLE (VU)
A taxon is Vulnerable when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable (see Section V), and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild.
References & Further Research
BioOne ~ CITES ~ Discover Life ~ GBIF ~ Google Scholar ~ ITIS ~ IUCN RedList ~ MarineBio Network ~ NCBI ~ SCIRIS ~ SIRIS ~ Tree of Life Web Project ~ Wikipedia
Biology and Behaviour of the Oceanic Whitetip
Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus) - Biological Profile - FLMNH
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