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Classification
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Latin name : |
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker, 1856) |
Synonyms : |
Carcharhinus menisorrah (Valenciennes 1839)
Carcharhinus wheeleri (Garrick 1982)
Carcharis (Prionodon) amblyrhynchos (Bleeker 1856)
Galeolama coongoola (Whitley 1964)
Galeolama fowleri (Whitley 1944)
Galeolama tufiensis (Whitley 1949) |
Classification : |
Chondrichthyes ( Cartilaginous fishes, sharks, rays ) |
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Name : |
Requin gris
Requin gris de récif
Requin dagsit
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Name : |
Grey reef shark
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Identification
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Main identification characters |
The Grey Whaler Shark is bronze to grey above, pale below, and has a black caudal fin margin. An indistinct stripe runs anteriorly from above the pelvic fins. The first dorsal fin sometimes has a small white tip and a white posterior margin.
This species grows to 2.55m in length but individuals over 1.8m are uncommon. It is regarded as potentially dangerous.
The Grey Whaler Shark is a common species on coral reefs. It has an inquisitive nature, often investigating disturbances and approaching divers. It has a well-documented threat display that involves raising its head, arching its back, lowering its pectoral fins, and swimming with exaggerated movements. |
Possible confusions |
Feel free to update this datasheet and complete this data. |
Biology
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Feed |
This shark's peak activity period tends to be at night when it is in search of food. They feed mostly on smaller fish, although they have been known to eat the young of their own kind. Their diet includes cephalopods, cowfish, surgeon fish, and butterfly fish. Percifomes, Tetradontiformes, and Beryciformes were determined by Wass (1971) to be the three orders of fish making up the majority of the sharks' diet. Most sharks do not have very precise vision, so they also rely upon the detection of fluctuations in the water current to detect prey. They pick up these signals by special sense receptors known as a neuromasts. They also have ampullae of Lorenzini, which respond to weak electrical fields, and may also detect temperature, water pressure, and salinity. |
Cycle of life / Reproduction |
Data exist in different language. Feel free to update this datasheet and translate the data : Vivipare, 1 à14 petits par portée. La période de gestation est estimée entre 8 et 12 mois (Semble changer selon où il vit) La taille à la naissance se situe entre 56 et 75 centimètres. Les mâles atteignent la maturité à au moins 1,30 mètre et les femelles au minimum à 1,45 mètre. |
Interaction with other species |
Feel free to update this datasheet and complete this data. |
Distribution
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Habitat |
Coral |
Pelagic |
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Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos are primarily found in tropical and sub-tropical waters. they are often found around coral atolls and lagoons around ocean reefs. They prefer to swim along the edges of reef dropoffs and in the shallows, but they are also found in waters as deep as 1,000 m. |
Geographical distribution |
Indo-Pacific: Madagascar and the Mauritius-Seychelles area, possibly India; also Red Sea to South Africa if Carcharhinus wheeleri is synonymized with this species. In the Pacific, it ranges from southern China to northern Australia and the Tuamotu Archipelago and French Polynesia. |
Links
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Websites : |
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/carcharhinus/c._amblyrh [...]
http://ibs.uel.ac.uk/fish-bin/fishgen.pl?speccode=861
http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/camblyrh.htm
http://www.chez.com/fins/Carcharhiniformes/gris.htm
http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.cfm?genusname=Carcharhi [...]
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Bibliography
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N/A |
Data sheet written by Christophe Naslain , 5/11/2002
Updates :
Abystrale - 29/08/2006
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