Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)

Scientific name: Carcharhinus albimarginatus R?ppell, 1837

Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)

The Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) is a marine fish of the family Carcharhinidae.

Biology

An inshore and offshore shark found over or adjacent to continental and insular shelves and offshore banks. Prefers offshore islands, coral reefs and banks. Benthopelagic. Feeds mainly on benthic and midwater fishes (including scombrids), also rays, cephalopods, and small sharks and occasionally cephalopods. Viviparous. Up to 11 young, size 50 to 60 cm, are born after a gestation period of 12 months. Potentially dangerous. Presumably taken by fisheries in areas where it occurs. Caught irregularly by shark and tuna longline and tuna gillnet fisheries. Utilized for its fins (high value in adults), meat, skin and cartilage. Probably utilized fresh and dried-salted for human consumption.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Carcharhinus albimarginatus
Family
Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)
Order
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
300
Common length
200
Depth range
1–800 m (3–2625 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 800 m, usually 20 - ? m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea and East Africa, including Madagascar, Seychelles, Aldabra Group, Mauritius and the Chagos Archipelago. Western Pacific: off southern Japan to northern Australia and French Polynesia. Eastern Central Pacific: southern Baja California, Mexico to Colombia, including the Cocos, Galapagos and Revillagigedo islands.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Near Threatened (NT)
Threat to humans
Traumatogenic
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Fec=1)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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