Basking sharks are the second largest living shark, easily distinguished by their huge mouths. These slow, harmless sharks often swim with their mouths open wide in order to filter-feed on plankton, copepods, larvae and fish eggs. Basking sharks are caught in target fisheries around the world for their oil, meat and fins. They are also … Read more
The distinctive hammer-shaped head may provide improved agility and increased sensor capacity for the scalloped hammerhead shark. A seasonally migratory species, the scalloped hammerhead is often found in schools. The fins are extremely valuable for use in shark fin soup and the scalloped hammerhead is taken both as a target species and as bycatch with … Read more
Sandtiger sharks are also known as the grey nurse shark and the spotted ragged-tooth shark. Sandtiger sharks have one of the lowest reproductive rates of any shark, giving birth to only one or two young every couple of years. Once a population is depleted, recovery is especially challenging due to their life history. Smaller populations … Read more
The sandbar shark feeds primarily on small fish in the bottom of the water column and is considered harmless to humans. The species is found in a variety of marine habitats, ranging from very shallow intertidal waters to depths of 280 meters. Larger-than-normal fins on the sandbar shark make it the most valuable large coastal … Read more
This seasonally migratory species has a stocky body and short snout. Porbeagles are found around the world, but adjacent populations appear to be distinct. This species prefers colder waters and is, in fact, endothermic. The porbeagle shark is caught as a target and bycatch species in commercial fisheries for its high-value meat. Directed longline fisheries … Read more
Found far from shore, the oceanic whitetip shark’s range spans entire oceans. Oceanic whitetips are now rarely seen, although previously considered one of the most widespread and abundant sharks. Oceanic whitetip sharks fall victim to the longlines and gillnets of commercial fisheries in the open ocean, both as a target and bycatch. Their large fins … Read more
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