Time to dive into a new shark profile and learn about the Oceanic Whitetip Shark!
The Oceanic Whitetip is commonly seen with accompanying remoras, dolphin fishes, and pilot fish looking to savage easy meal scraps.
FAMILY: Carcharhinidae
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Carcharhinus longimanus
COMMON NAME: Oceanic Whitetip, Whitetip whaler, Nigano shark, Whitetip
TYPE: Fish
The distinctive white patterning on their fin tips give the Oceanic Whitetip its name. This species is known to be solitary and slow moving while it conserves energy on its travels across open ocean.
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
SIZE:
11-13 feet (3.5-4 m). Most specimens are less than 10 feet and the maximum recorded weight for the Oceanic Whitetip is 370 pounds.
AVERAGE LIFE SPAN:
Researchers believe up to 19 years on average however some individuals may live much longer, up to 36 years!
Female Oceanics reach sexual maturity between 6-9 years of age and give birth to live young (pups) after 10-12 months. What's interesting is this species reproductive cycle is thought to be biennial, meaning sharks give birth in alternate yeas; litters of 6 are the average size but have been as many as 14! It is believed that shark size correlates to litter size, with larger females producing more offspring.
The Oceanic in History:
The oceanic whitetip is the primary species implicated in the shark bites surrounding the sinking of the USS Indianapolis in 1945, also known as the “worst shark attack in history” (ISAF 2018).
DISTRIBUTION:
Whitetip sightings increase farther from shore in open areas of the ocean, this pelagic, surface-dwelling species is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.
DIET:
Survival is tough in the open ocean where food sources are few and far between, the ability of this shark to dine on a myriad of prey items is impressive. This shark has been known to dine on anything from squid, sea birds, marine mammals, larger sportfish like marlin or tuna, even other sharks or rays!
Fun Fact:
Whitetips have been reported to swim in association to pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) while the reason is still unknown, it is believed to be linked to the whales' ability to locate squid which the sharks can also feed on.
In addition, carrion like dead whales or even discarded trash can be a welcomed sight for a hungry shark that doesn't know where or when it's next meal will be. Interestingly, when other shark species are present on feeding activities, the Oceanic Whitetip is usually dominant over the rest.
CONSERVATION:
"The Oceanic Whitetip Shark is caught globally as target and bycatch in commercial and small-scale pelagic longline, purse seine, and gillnet fisheries. Most of the catch is taken as bycatch of commercial pelagic fleets in offshore and high-seas waters. It is also captured in coastal longlines, gillnets, trammel nets and sometimes trawls, particularly in areas with narrow continental shelves. The species has an inquisitive nature that increases its catchability."
Because of their preferred distribution and tendency to remain at the surface, whitetip sharks have high mortality rates. In addiontion, the Oceanic Whitetip is highly valued in the international shark fin trade as well as captured for other shark products - their population is declining as a result.
The oceanic whitetip has declined by approximately 80 to 95 percent across the Pacific Ocean since the mid-1990s! Substantial abundance declines have also been estimated for the Atlantic Ocean, including an 88 percent decline in the Gulf of Mexico due to commercial fishing.
Given their life history traits, particularly their late age of maturity and low reproductive output, oceanic whitetip sharks are inherently vulnerable to depletions, with low likelihood of recovery
Learn even more about this amazing shark, check out full articles
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