Galapagos shark

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Galapagos shark

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Family:	Carcharhinidae
Genus:	Carcharhinus
Species:	C. galapagensis

Binomial name

Carcharhinus galapagensis
(Snodgrass & Heller, 1905)

Range of galapagos shark

Sharks Portal

The Galapagos shark, Carcharhinus galapagensis, is a species of requiem shark that was first named in 1905 after specimens were found in the seas around the Galapagos Islands.

1 Taxonomy
2 Anatomy and appearance
3 Diet
4 Distribution and habitat
5 Reproduction
6 Relationship to humans
7 References
8 External websites

[edit] Taxonomy

The Galapagos shark was originally described as Carcharinus galapagensis in 1905. Its name was later changed to Carcharias galapagensis. This name was changed yet again later that same year, and it received its currently valid scientific name Carcharhinus galapagensis.

[edit] Anatomy and appearance

The Galapagos shark is dark grey on top with an off-white belly and a black tail edge, it's snout is long and rounded. The Galapagos' Dorsal fin originates over its Pectoral axis, it is also rounded like the Shark's snout, however the tip of the Dorsal fin is angled. Their average length is around 10 ft (3 m). The Galapagos shark can be found in warm tropical waters at depths ranging from 16 to 200 ft (5 to 60 m).

[edit] Diet

They are benthic feeders, meaning they hunt prey from the sea floor, such as fish and octopuses. Adult Galapagos sharks are also cannibalistic, feeding on their own young if encountered.

[edit] Distribution and habitat

Its distribution is widespread but patchy with populations occurring at many widely separated island sites and also in some coastal areas in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. It seems that there is little or no migration between these populations.