Silver Tip Shark

Description:

The silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) is a large species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae, with a fragmented distribution throughout the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. This species is often encountered around offshore islands and coral reefs, and has been known to dive to a depth of 800 m (2,600 ft). The silvertip shark resembles a larger, bulkier grey reef shark (C. amblyrhynchos), and can be easily identified by the prominent white margins on its fins. It attains a maximum length of 3 m (10 ft). An aggressive, powerful apex predator, the silvertip shark feeds on a wide variety of bony fishes, as well as eagle rays, smaller sharks, and cephalopods. This species dominates other requiem sharks of equal size when competing for food, and larger individuals are often heavily scarred from conflicts with others of its species. As with other members of its family, the silvertip shark is viviparous, with females giving birth to one to 11 pups in the summer. Silvertip sharks are regarded as potentially dangerous to humans, as they often approach divers quite closely. This slow-reproducing species is taken by commercial fisheries for its meat, fins, skin, cartilage, and jaws and teeth, which has apparently led to local population declines or extirpations. As a result, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed it as Near Threatened