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OCEANIC WHITETIP SHARK
Carcharhinus longimanus
SIZE
To about 11.5 ft (3.5 m).
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
- First dorsal fin broadly rounded
- Pectoral fins long, broad, and paddle-shaped
- First dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins usually with white mottling on tips; small juveniles may have black blotched or black tips on fins and black saddle marks on dorsal surface between fins
- Caudal fin with no distinct lower lobe
- Color brown to olive-gray above, gray-white to yellow below
DISTRIBUTION
ME to Argentina, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Uncommon in U.S. Atlantic EEZ.HABITAT
Offshore in waters >600 ft (183 m); occasionally coastal near oceanic islands. Usually in water temperatures >72�F (22�C).SIMILAR SPECIES
Broadly rounded, white-tipped first dorsal fin of oceanic whitetip shark distinguishes this species from other Atlantic SharksMORE INFORMATION
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Text descriptions taken from Guide to Sharks, Tunas, & Billfishes of the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico |
www.nefsc.noaa.gov |
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(File Modified Sep. 13 2011)
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