Requiem shark

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File:Spinner shark nmfs.jpg
Spinner shark, Carcharhinus brevipinna, from the Gulf of Mexico
File:Galapagos shark.jpg
Galapagos shark, Carcharhinus galapagensis
File:Wikilemon Nbrevirostris1 TerryGoss.jpg
Lemon shark, Negaprion brevirostris, at Tiger Beach, Bahamas
File:Prionace glauca by mark conlin.JPG
Blue shark, Prionace glauca

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Requiem sharks are sharks of the family Carcharhinidae in the order Carcharhiniformes. They are migratory, live-bearing sharks of warm seas (sometimes of brackish or fresh water) and include such species as the bull shark, lemon shark, blacktip shark, and whitetip reef shark.

Family members have the usual carcharhiniform characteristics. Their eyes are round, and one or two gill slits fall over the pectoral fin base. Most species are viviparous, the young being born fully developed. They vary widely in size, from as small as Template:Convert adult length in the Australian sharpnose shark, up to Template:Convert adult length in the oceanic whitetip shark.[1] Scientists assume that the size and shape of their pectoral fins have the right dimensions to minimize transport cost.[2] Requiem sharks tend to live in more tropical areas, but tend to migrate. Females release a chemical in the ocean in order to let the males know they are ready to mate. Typical mating time for these sharks is around spring to autumn.[3]

According to the ISAF, requiem sharks are among the top five species involved in shark attacks on humans;[4] however, "requiem shark" is not a single species, but refers, in this case, to an order of similar sharks that are often involved in incidents. ISAF prefers to use "requiem sharks" due to the difficulty in identifying individual species.[5]

Etymology

The common name requiem shark may be related to the French word for shark, Script error: No such module "Lang"., which is itself of disputed etymology. One derivation of the latter is from Latin requiem ("rest"), which would thereby create a cyclic etymology (requiem-requin-requiem), but other sources derive it from the Old French verb reschignier ("to grimace while baring teeth").

The scientific name Carcharhinidae was first proposed in 1896 by D.S. Jordan and B.W. Evermann as a subfamily of Galeidae (now replaced by "Carcharhinidae").[6]Template:Sfn The term is derived from Greek Script error: No such module "Lang". (karcharos, sharp or jagged), and ῥί̄νη (rhinē, rasp); both elements describe the jagged, rasp-like skin.[7] Rasp-like skin is typical of shark skin in general, and is not diagnostic to Carcharhinidae.

Evolutionary history

The oldest member of the family is Archaeogaleus lengadocensis from the Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) of France.[8] Only a handful of records of the group are known from prior to the beginning of the Cenozoic.[9] Modern carcharinid sharks have extensively diversified in coral reef habitats.[10]

Hunting strategies

Requiem sharks are extraordinarily fast and effective hunters. Their elongated, torpedo-shaped bodies make them quick and agile swimmers, so they can easily attack any prey. Some species are continually active, while others are capable of resting motionless for extended periods on the bottom. They have a range of food sources depending on location and species, including bony fish, squid, octopus, lobster, turtles, marine mammals, seabirds, other sharks and rays; smaller species tend to select a narrow range of prey, but some very large species, especially the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), are virtually omnivorous.Template:Sfn They are often considered the "garbage cans" of the seas because they will eat almost anything, even non-food items like trash.Template:Sfn They are migratory hunters that follow their food source across entire oceans. They tend to be most active at night time,Template:Sfn where their impressive eyesight can help them sneak up on unsuspecting prey. It is worth mentioning that the tiger shark, however, possibly belongs to the Galeocerdidae family.[11] Most requiem sharks hunt alone, however some species like the whitetip reef sharks and lemon sharks are cooperative feeders and will hunt in packs through coordinated, timed attacks against their prey. Some of the species have been shown to give specialized displays when confronted by divers or other sharks, which may be indicative of aggressive or defensive threat.Template:Sfn

Classification

The 60 species of requiem shark are grouped into 11 genera:[1]

† = extinct

See also

References

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Sources

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External links

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  1. a b Compagno, L.J.V. Family Carcharhinidae - Requiem sharks in Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2010. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication, version (10/2013).
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  5. ISAF Statistics on Attacking Species of Shark Template:Webarchive
  6. Subfamily Carcharhininae Jordan & Evermann, 1896 (Family Galeidae), Bull.U.S.Nat.Mus., 48(1):28.
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  11. Pollerspöck, J.; Straube, N. Bibliography Database of Living/Fossil Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras (Chondrichtyes: Elasmobranchii, Holocephali)—List of Valid Extant Species; List of Described Extant Species; Statistic, World Wide Web Electronic Publication, Version 10/2021; Template:Catalog lookup linkScript error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".Script error: No such module "check isxn".. Available online: www.shark-references.com (accessed on 23 November 2021).
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