Silvertip Shark

Silvertipshark
A Silvertip hunts for prey Photo credit: Michel Labreque of Plongee Diving

The silvertip shark can be found in many regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans in waters up to 2,600 feet. Adults prefer the deeper waters and young sharks will inhabit shallows close to the coasts. Females of the species are larger than males; typically the species grows between six and a half feet to just over eight feet.

Each fin has a white tip, thus giving this shark its name. This species has very large round eyes and a distinctive broad snout with 12 to 14 tooth rows on each side of its jaw. They feed on a number of fish including lanternfish, wrasses, flyingfish, grouper, mackerel and tuna, often twisting and turning as they grip pieces of their prey.

Litters of typically five or six pup are born every other year after a year in gestation.

Text source: Wikipedia under Creative Commons licence.

© Copyright Vince Capone 2013