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Species: Carcharhinus longimanus, Oceanic whitetip Shark

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broad white tips: D1, pectoral, lower tail
D1 very large, rounded
pectoral very long, rounded

Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey, 1861)

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Moderately stout; snout moderately short and broadly rounded, length 1-1.1 in distance between nostrils; eyes round; nasal flaps very small, rudimentary; upper front teeth broadly triangular, straight, serrated; lower front teeth with narrow, high, straight points; ridge on back between dorsal fins usually present; origin of first dorsal fin slightly before inner rear corner of pectoral fins; first dorsal fin very large, with broadly rounded tip, its height 9.2-15.2% of TL; pectoral fins extremely long (length of front edge 20.2- 27.1% of TL), with broad round tips; origin of second dorsal in front of or over anal fin origin; tail base without keels; tail fin strongly asymmetrical, with well developed lower lobe, undulating ridge along dorsal surface of top lobe, and a notch under tip of that lobe.

Brownish grey on back, becoming white ventrally; tips of first dorsal fin, paired fins, and caudal fin lobes broadly mottled white; anal fin usually blackish at tip and second dorsal fin may be dusky at tip; juveniles with most fins tipped with black.

Grows to 350 cm, possibly 395 cm; 60-65 cm at birth.

Habitat: oceanic epipelagic.

Depth: 0-1050 m.

Circumtropical; central Baja to northern Peru.


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Salinity
  • Marine Only
  • Marine
Inshore/Offshore
  • Offshore
  • Offshore Only
Water Column Position
  • Mid Water
  • Water column only
  • Near Surface
  • Surface
Habitat
  • Water column
FishBase Habitat
  • Pelagic
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
  • Bony fishes
  • Sea snakes/mammals/turtles/birds
  • Pelagic crustacea
  • Data
Egg Type
  • Live birth
  • No data
  • No pelagic larva
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific + Atlantic (East +/or West)
  • Circumtropical ( Indian + Pacific + Atlantic Oceans)
  • Transisthmian (East Pacific + Atlantic of Central America)
  • East Pacific + all Atlantic (East+West)
  • TEP non-endemic
  • All species
  • All Pacific (West + Central + East)
  • "Transpacific" (East + Central &/or West Pacific)
Regional Endemism
  • Island (s)
  • All species
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic
  • Eastern Pacific non-endemic
  • Continent + Island (s)
  • Continent
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Vulnerable
  • Listed
CITES
  • Appendix II
  • Listed
Length Max
  • 350
Depth Range Min
  • 0
Depth Range Max
  • 1050