Sliteye Shark

The sliteye shark is a species of requiem shark found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Sliteye Shark Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Chondrichthyes
Order Carcharhiniformes
Family Carcharhinidae
Genus Loxodon
Scientific Name L. macrorhinus

Description

On average, this shark is 2-2.3 ft long, with the females larger than the males. It has a long and narrow snout, large eyes, and smooth-edged teeth.

Dorsally, they are brownish to grey and white ventrally.

Where do they live

Its range appears to be throughout the Indo-west Pacific between latitudes 34° N and 30° S. There have been sightings from eastern South Africa to southern Japan and Northern Australia.

The shark seems to prefer clear, shallow, continental waters between depths of 23 to 262 ft.

Behavior

Feeding

Their diet consists of cuttlefish, shrimp, and small bony fish.

Reproductive

Sliteye sharks give live birth to a litter that generally consists of 2-4 pups.

Interactions with humans

While commercial fisheries sometimes target this shark, its relatively fast reproductive rate doesn’t make this a huge issue. As a result, the IUCN classifies the sliteye shark as “Near Threatened” or “NT”.

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