Oceanic White Tip Shark: Carcharhinus longimanus Shark Jaws

Carcharhinus longimanus

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Not to be confused with whitetip reef shark.

The oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, is a large pelagic shark of tropical and warm temperate seas. It is a stocky shark, most notable for its long, white tipped rounded fins.

This aggressive but slow-moving fish dominates feeding frenzies, and has attacked more humans than all other shark species combined — it is a notable danger to survivors of oceanic ship wrecks and downed aircraft.

This shark is usually observed well offshore in deep water areas although on occasion it has been reported in shallower waters near land, usually near oceanic islands. Long line capture data in the Pacific Ocean shows that abundance of this shark increases along with distance from land. It is one of the top three most abundant oceanic sharks, which also include the blue shark (Prionace glauca) and the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis). The oceanic whitetip shark is very abundant throughout its range which includes water with temperatures are above 70°F (21°C). Although this shark is primarily solitary, it has been observed in "feeding frenzies" when a food source is present. It is a slow swimmer with equal amounts of activity during the day and nighttime hours. Reports have described swimming behavior in open waters at or near the surface of the water as moving slowly with the huge pectoral fins spread widely.
Oceanic whitetip sharks are often accompanied by remoras, dolphin fishes, and pilot fishes. An unusual behavior of the oceanic whitetip shark is its association with the shortfin pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) in Hawaiian waters as reported by Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch (1988). They are often observed swimming along with pods of pilot whales. Although the reason for such behavior is unknown, it is suspected to be food-related. Pilot whales are efficient at locating squid upon which the oceanic whitetip sharks also feed.

The oceanic whitetip shark is easy to distinguish among species belonging to the family Carcharhinidae. This stocky shark has a large rounded first dorsal fin and very long and wide paddle-like pectoral fins. The head of this shark includes a short and bluntly rounded nose and small circular eyes that have nictitating membranes. The first dorsal fin is very large with a rounded tip, originating just in front of the free rear tips of the pectoral fins. The second dorsal fin originates over or slightly in front of the anal fin origin. Possessing broadly rounded tips, the pectoral fins are very large and elongated.

This species is commonly named the oceanic whitetip shark for the whitish-tipped first dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, and caudal fins. These white markings are sometimes accompanied by white mottling on the fins or black markings in young individuals. There may also be a dark saddle-shaped marking present between the first and second dorsal fins. The body of the oceanic whitetip shark is grayish bronze to brown in color, varying depending upon geographical location. The underside is whitish with a yellow tinge on some individuals.

Although primarily found offshore, this shark is considered potentially dangerous It is often the first species to be seen in waters surrounding mid-ocean disasters. During both World Wars, the oceanic whitetip shark was of major concern due to the high number of torpedoed boats and shot-down planes. The Nova Scotia steamship was sunk by torpedoes from a German submarine off the coast of South Africa. Close to 1,000 men were on board, however only 192 survived. It is believed that many of the fatalities were victims of the oceanic whitetip shark in what eyewitness accounts described as a "feeding frenzy". In encounters with divers, ocean whitetip sharks have shown little fear and much persistence investigating and circling the ongoing activities. Due to this shark's opportunistic feeding habits and strong jaws as well as its boldness and unpredictability around divers, this shark should be treated with extreme caution. Many potential attacks have been averted by quick action on divers' parts such as bumping the sharks on the snout to avoid close contact.

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

Size	Item #	Price
11" X 11"	OWT6	$160.00
14" X 8"	OWT11	$95.00
15" X 10 1/2"	OWT14	$220.00