Hammerheads Tigers and Makos Oh my Basking Shark

Hammerheads, Tigers, and Makos! Oh my!

Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus Cet = whale, rhin = nose, maxim = largest

Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus One of the largest sharks (2 nd only to the whale shark) Maximum total length – about 40 feet long Filter feeders – plankton Filters about 2000 tons of water per hour!! Found in temperate and cold seas but stays over the continental shelf Found alone and in groups of up to 100 Considered harmless to humans Endangerment status – vulnerable Threats include: overfishing/bycatch net entanglements collisions with boats/propellers tourism/harrassment baskingshark. flv

Black Tip Reef Shark Carcharhinus melanopterus Carchar = jagged, rhin = nose, melan = black, pter = fin

Black Tip Reef Shark Carcharhinus melanopterus Requiem shark Prefers shallow waters close inshore and coral reefs About 5 -6 feet long Feeds on smalls fish and inverts Found worldwide (including Gulf Coast) Viviparous – live birth (placental link to young) 2 -4 pups per litter and gestation is about 16 months Not dangerous to humans because of smaller size Endangerment status – Low Risk/Near Threatened

Common Thresher Shark Alopias vulpinus Alope = fox, vulp = fox, cunning

Common Thresher Shark Alopias vulpinus Very long caudal fin – upper lobe is about half the entire size of the shark Maximum length – about 20 feet Feeds mostly on schools of fish – herding them with their tails Found worldwide (including Gulf Coast) Very fast swimmers, can leap out of water Can elevate body temp above that of surrounding Ovoviviparous – 2 pups at a time – uterine cannibalism Endangerment status – insufficient data

Gray Reef Shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchus Carchar = jagged, rhin = nose, ambl = blunt, rhynch = snout, beak

Gray Reef Shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchus • Found in Indian Ocean and western Pacific • Maximum length – about 8 ft • Feeds on fish, squid, octopus, crabs, and lobsters • Viviporous (placental link)– 1 -6 pups per litter – Gestation about 12 months • Bites to humans have been recorded – mostly accidental (bite and run) • Distinct display of aggresion • Endangerment Status – low risk/near threatened

Great Blue Shark Prionace glauca Prion = saw, glauc = gray, bluish

Great Blue Shark Prionace glauca Requiem shark Unmistakable with its long pectoral fins, slender body, and blue color Viviporous (placental link)– up to 130 pups per litter!! (but usually 25 -30) Born in open water with no protection (probably why birth rate is so high) Found worldwide (including Gulf of Mexico) Feeds mostly on small fish and inverts No spiracles Up to 12 feet long Endangerment Status – Low risk/Near threatened babyblueshark. flv

Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias Carchar = jagged, odon = tooth

Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias Very distinct countershading coloration Found worldwide (including the Gulf of Mexico) Able to elevate body temp higher than surrounding water which allows for higher activity level for an animal its size Mostly travels solo – but have been found in groups – somewhat social Feeds on marine mammals and other sharks Up to 21 feet long Ovoviviporous – embryos exhibit oophagy (eat eggs) Pregnant females rarely found greatwhiteshark. flv Endangerment Status – vulnerable

Hammerhead Shark Sphyrna zygaena Sphyr = hammer/mallet, zygaen = hammerhead shark

Hammerhead Shark Sphyrna zygaena Found worldwide (including Gulf of Mexico) Up to 13 feet long Feeds on sharks, rays, fish, crustaceans, cephalopods Viviporous (placental link)– 29 -37 pups per litter Very active species – often forms migrating schools Shape of head thought to have many purposes provide lift increases maneuverability – can turn more easily ampullae of lorenzini distributed over larger surface area which provides more efficiency in finding food Endangerment Status – Low risk/Near threatened

Other hammerhead sharks Photos to aid in the identification of the different hammerhead species in the Atlantic Ocean: A. Smooth Hammerhead, B. Scalloped Hammerhead, C. Great Hammerhead, D. Bonnethead

Mako Shark Isurus oxyrhinchus Is = equal, urus = tail, oxy = sharp, rhin = nose

Mako Shark (Short fin) Isurus oxyrhinchus Fastest shark – 31 mph, up to 45+ in short bursts (68 mph!!) Slender body, hydrodynamic with long conical snout Found in temperate and tropical waters (including Gulf of Mexico) Metallic blue with white ventral surface Up to 13 feet long Ovoviviparous - embryos feed on eggs (oophagus) Feeds on fish like mackerels, tuna, swordfishes, other sharks Endangerment Status – Low risk/near threatened mako. flv

Nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum Ginglym = hinge, stom = mouth, cirr = curl of hair

Nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum Abundant in shallow waters and coral reefs Found in western Atlantic, eastern Pacific (also Gulf of Mexico) Feeds on crustaceans, snails, sea urchins, small fish Ovoviviparous – max litter size – 28 pups Up to 13 feet long Endangerment status – vulnerable Considered harmless but have attacked when provoked nurseshark. flv

Oceanic White Tipped Shark Carcharhinus longimanus Carchar = jagged, rhin = nose, long = long, manus = hand

Oceanic White Tipped Shark Carcharhinus longimanus Large stocky build, paddle like pectoral fins, large rounded dorsal fin Found worldwide (including Gulf of Mexico) Feeds mostly on fish, cephalopods, sea birds, stingrays, garbage Viviparous – 1 -15 pups per litter, gestation about 12 months Up to 9 feet long Endangerment Status – low risk/near threatened oceanicwhitetipshark. flv

Pygmy Shark Euprotomicrus bispinatus Eu = good/well, prot = first, micrus = small, bi = two, spin = spine/thorn

Pygmy Shark Euprotomicrus bispinatus Member of the sleeper sharks Up to 10 inches in length Found in subtropical to temperate waters Stays in deep water during the day, surfaces at night Feeds on squid, fish, and crustaceans Ovoviviparous – 8 pups per litter Endangerment status – least concern

Spiny Dogfish Shark Squalus acanthias Squal = dogfish, acanth = spine/thorn

Spiny Dogfish Shark Squalus acanthias Heavily studied shark dogfish. flv Probably most abundant Prefers deeper waters Pretty much found worldwide Up to 5 feet long Feeds mainly on fish, inverts, cephalopods, crustaceans, and even sea cucumbers and jellyfishes. Ovoviviparous – up to 20 pups per litter – gestation 22 months! Sexual maturity is reached at about 20 years!! Lifespan - 70 years Endangerment status – low risk/near threatened

Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvieri Gale = weasel/cat, cerd = cunning/fox, cuvieri = name of famous scientist

Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvieri Found worldwide in temperate and tropical seas (Gulf of Mexico too) Dark gray coloration with vertical stripes Mainly solitary and are nocturnal – usually moving inshore at night and retreating to deep waters during the day Can get up to 26 feet long Probably biggest variety of diet – fishes, sharks, turtles, birds, inverts, and even garbage Ovoviviparous – 10 -80 pups per litter Endangerment status – low risk/near threatened tigershark. flv

Whale Shark Rhincodon typus Rhin = nose, odon = tooth, typ = a type

Whale Shark Rhincodon typus Largest living fish species whaleshark. flv Up to 65 feet in length Found in tropical and warm oceans (Gulf of Mexico too) Lifespan – 70 years! Filter feeder – suctioning in phytoplankton, micro-algae, krill, sometimes small nekton like small fish and inverts. Ovoviviparous – up to 300 pups per litter!! Endangerment status - vulnerable

White-Tipped Reef Shark Triaenodon obesus Tri = three, aeno = terrible, odon = tooth Obesus = to eat away/devour

White-Tipped Reef Shark Triaenodon obesus Very abundant in reefs and prefers shallow waters Indo-pacific and central pacific Feeds on reef fish and crustaceans Up to about 6 feet in length Viviparous (placental link) – 1 -5 pups per litter, reach sexual maturity at 5 years Lifespan – about 25 years Endangerment status – low risk/near threatened whitetipreefsharks. flv

Sharks of the Gulf

Requiem Sharks