Sharks Flashcards
(183 cards)
1
Q
What are the key characteristics of a a Sicklefin lemon shark
A
- Pale yellow-brown with a white underside
- Open mouth ‘smile’
- Widely spaced dorsal fins of nearly equal height
2
Q
What are the key characteristics of a coral catshark?
A
- Nocturnal, hides in the reef in daylight
- Small slender shark
- Numerous black and white spots that often merge to form horizontal bars.
- Dorsal fins angled backwards
3
Q
What are the key characteristics of a Tawny nurse shark?
A
- Grey to brownish grey with no markings
- Pair of short nasal barbels
- Wide face and small eyes
- likes to hide during the daytime
- close set dorsal fins of nearly the same height
4
Q
What are they identifying characteristics of a Blacktip shark?
A
- Grey with a white underside
- Black tip on 2nd dorsal fin, pectoral fins, ventral fins and lower lobe of caudal fin
- Anal fin pale tip white
- Silver white streak on flank
- Angular snout shape
5
Q
What are the identifying characteristics of a great hammerhead shark?
A
- Huge dorsal fin
- Front edge of hammer not scalloped
- Mainly solitary
6
Q
What are the identifying characteristics of a silvertip shark?
A
- ## Silver/white margins on ALL fins
7
Q
What are the identifying characteristics of a grey reef shark?
A
- black posterior margin of the caudal fin
- Grey with white underside
- Second dorsal, anal and underside of pectoral fins normally black
- Can have a white margin on dorsal posterior edge
8
Q
What are the identifying characteristics of a Brown-banded bamboo shark?
A
- Slender body and narrow head
- Brown to greyish brown and my retain hint of juvenile banded pattern.
- Pectoral and ventral fins forward of the dorsal fin
- Rests on the bottom
9
Q
What are the identifying characteristics of a snaggletooth shark?
A
- Dent / bump in head between mouth and dorsal fin
- Second dorsal fin far back
- Grey to brown without marking
- Rounded snout
- Gill slits long
- Strongly curved pectoral fins
10
Q
What are the identifying characteristics of a scalloped hammerhead shark?
A
- Regular size dorsal fin
- Scalloped hammer shape
- Solitary or in schools
11
Q
What are the identifying characteristics of an Indonesia Wobbegong shark?
A
- Small benthic shark
- Alternating brownish bars and saddles on the ventral side
- Nasal Barbels
12
Q
What are sharks a subgroup of?
A
sharks are a subgroup of Chondrichtyan fishes and comprise 8 orders, 34 families and around 470 species
13
Q
What families of shark are we interested in in IOP?
A
- Carcharinhidae (reuiem sharks)
- Alopidae (thresher sharks)
- Hemigaleidae (weasel sharks)
- Sphyrnidae (hammerhead sharks)
- Rhincodontidae (whale sharks)
- Orectolobidae (wobbegongs)
- Scyliorhinidae (catsharks)
- Ginglymosyomatidae (nurse sharks)
- Hemiscyllidae (bamboo sharks)
14
Q
What is the importance of sharks to the coral ecosystem?
A
- Eat = sharks remove weak and sick fish and help ensure that only the healthiest individuals are left to reproduce. Studies have suggested that sharks promote an increase in both biodiversity and biomass in coral reef ecosystems.
- Prey = Larger sharks oftten have very few predators and are at the top of the food web as apex predators (e.g. tiger sharks), however smaller reef sharks are eaten by larger fish including sharks and groupers (e.g. blacktip reef sharks)
- Poop = Rich in nutrients such as nitrogen which fertilises the reef
15
Q
What are the male sex organs for sharks?
A
Males have two external sex organs called claspers located on the ventral side of eh body, between the pelvic fins.
16
Q
How do sharks mate?
A
during mating, a male inserts one of his claspers into the cloaca of the female to transfer sperm packets (spermatophores).
- The male bites the females in order for this to occur and they often sink whilst mating and the result is pretty clear mating scars present sometimes on both sexes.
17
Q
What are the three ways, dependent on shark species, that embryos develop?
A
- Oviparity
- Viviparity
- Ovoviviparity
18
Q
What is oviparity?
A
Oviparity = - Egg laying with yolk sac nutrition (mermaid purses). Female sharks lay eggs that attach to rocks or coral.
- The developing embryo relies entirely on the yolk sac for developmental nutrition
19
Q
What is the gestation period in Oviparity?
A
8 - 12 months
20
Q
What shark species are oviparous?
A
Cat sharks, bamboo sharks
21
Q
What is viviparity?
A
Live birth with placental nutrition.
Once the yolk sac is absorbed it elongates and attaches to the uterine wall, forming a yolk sac placenta
22
Q
A
23
Q
What is the gestation period for viviparity?
A
11-12 months
24
Q
What species of shark are viviparous?
A
Hammerheads, grey reef sharks
25
What is ovoviviparity?
Live birth with "egg eating" nutrition.
Embryos develop initially relying on the yolk sac but after hatching they gain extra nutrition from consuming nearby underdeveloped eggs (oophagy)
26
What is the gestation period for ovoviviparity?
10 - 15 months
26
What species of shark are ovoviviparous?
Nurse sharks, tiger sharks
27
What other reproductive aspects have been seen?
- "Virgin" births have been witnessed in zebra sharks in aquariums
- Embryophagy (embryo eating) has been documented in some ovoviviparous species
28
What are threats to sharks?
- fished for fins - shark fin soup
- Caught as bycatch in commercial fisheries
- overfishing, habitat destruction, climate change and other anthropogenic pressures.
29
What is the scientific name for a grey reef shark?
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker, 1856)
30
What is the maximum size of a grey reef shark?
up to 2.65 m but commonly around 1.6 m
31
Where do you find grey reef sharks?
Coastal, lagoon and outer slopes
32
Are grey reef sharks solitary or form schools?
They can be either solitary or form schools
33
What is the appearance of a grey reef shark?
- Grey with a white underside
- Usually black on the second dorsal, anal and underside of the pectoral fins
- Can have a white margin on dorsal posterior edge
- Broad black tail margin
34
What is the distinguishing feature on a grey reef shark?
Black tail margin
35
What is the occurrence of grey reef sharks in Bira?
Common
36
what is the position in the water column of grey reef sharks?
Pelagic
Benthopelagic
37
What is the IUCN status of grey reef sharks?
Endangered
38
what is the scientific name of the blacktip reef shark?
Caracharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
39
What is the maximum size of the blacktip reef shark?
Up to 2.3 m, commonly around 1.2 m
40
Where do you find blacktip reef sharks?
Coastal, lagoon and outerslopes
41
Are blacktip reef sharks solitary or form groups?
Can be solitary or in small groups
42
What is the appearance of the blacktip reef shark?
- Brownish grey with white underside
- Black tip on 1st and 2nd dorsal, pectoral, anal and lower lobe of the caudal fin
43
What is the distinguishing feature of a blacktip reef shark?
Black and white stripe dorsal
44
What is the occurrence of the blacktip reef shark in Bira?
Common
45
What is the position in the water column of the blacktip reef shark?
Benthopelagic
46
What is the IUCN status of the blacktip reef shark?
Vulnerable
47
What is the scientific name of the whitetip reef shark?
Triaenodon obesus (Lesson, 1831)
48
What is the maximum size of the whitetip reef shark?
up to 2 m but commonly 1.4 m
49
Where would you find the whitetip reef shark?
Coastal, lagoon and outer slopes
50
Are whitetip reef sharks solitary or in groups?
They can be solitary or form small groups
51
What is the appearance of the whitetip reef shark?
- Grey body
- Occasional dark spots on sides
- white tips on 1st dorsal fin and upper tail lobe
- often found resting on reef flats and under ledges in the day
- Blunt nose
52
What is the distinguishing feature of whitetip reef sharks?
White tips & blunt nose
53
What is the occurrence of whitetip reef sharks in Bira?
Common
54
What is the position in the water column of white tip reef sharks?
Benthopelagic
55
What is the IUCN status of whitetip reef sharks?
Vulnerable
56
What is the scientific name for the silvertip shark?
Caracharhinus albimarginatus (Ruppell, 1837)
57
What is the maximum size of the silvertip shark?
up to 3 m
58
Where do you find silver tip sharks?
Coastal, lagoon and outerslopes
59
Are silvertip sharks in groups or solitary?
Solitary or small groups
60
What is the appearance of silvertip sharks
- Grey with pale underside
- White-silvery tips on ALL fins
- Very fast moving shark
61
What is the distinguishing feature of silvertip sharks?
White-silver tips on ALL fins
62
What is the occurrence of silvertip sharks in Bira?
Rare
63
What is the position in the water column of silver tip sharks?
Pelagic
benthopelagic
64
What is the IUCN status of silvertip sharks?
Near threatened
65
What is the scientific name for the blacktip shark?
Caracharhinus limbatus (muller & Henle, 1839)
66
What is the maximum size of the blacktip shark?
up to 2.8 m
67
where do you find blacktip sharks?
Lagoons, inshore water and reef channel
68
Are blacktip sharks in groups or solitary?
Can be solitary or in small groups
69
What is the appearance of the blacktip shark?
- Grey with white underside
- Silver-white streak on flank
- Black tips on 2nd dorsal, pectoral, ventral and lower tail lobe
70
What is the distinguishing feature of blacktip sharks?
Black tips on pectoral fins
71
What is the occurrence of blacktip sharks in Bira?
Rare
72
What position in the water column are blacktip sharks?
Pelagic
Benthopelagic
73
What is the IUCN status of blacktip sharks?
Vulnerable
74
What is the scientific name of the sicklefin lemon shark?
Negaprion acuntidens (Ruppell, 1837)
75
what is the maximum size of the sicklefin lemon shark?
up to 3.1 m
76
Where do you find sicklefin lemon sharks?
Bottom of bays, estuaries and offshore reefs
77
Are sicklefin lemon sharks solitary or in groups?
Can be solitary or in small groups
78
What is the appearance of the sicklefin lemon shark?
- Pale yellow-brown with white underside
- Pair of widely spaced dorsal fins of nearly equal height
- Open mouth 'smile'
79
What is the distinguishing feature of the sicklefin lemon shark?
Open mouth 'smile' and dorsal fin spacing
80
What is the occurrence of the sicklefin lemon shark in Bira?
Extremely Rare
81
Where in the water column are sicklefin lemon sharks?
Benthopelagic
82
What is the IUCN status of sicklefin lemon sharks?
Endangered
83
What is the scientific name of the tiger shark?
Galeocerdo cuvier (Peron & Lesueur, 1822)
84
What is the maximum size of the tiger shark?
Up to 7.4 m, commonly 5 m
85
Where do you find tiger sharks?
Oceanic, coastal and offshore reefs
86
Are tiger sharks in groups or solitary?
Solitary
87
What is the appearance of tiger sharks?
- Grey with dusky bards on body
- Long slender caudal fin with pointed tip
- Robust body shape with blunt nose
88
What are the distinguishing features of tiger sharks?
Tiger stripes and robust body
89
What is the occurrence of tiger sharks in Bira?
Rare
90
What position are tiger sharks in the water column?
Pelagic
Benthopelagic
91
What is the IUCN status of tiger sharks?
Near Threatened
92
What is the scientific name of the pelagic/oceanic thresher shark?
up to 4.2 m, commonly 2 m
93
Where do you find oceanic thresher sharks?
Oceanic, occasionally near reef drop-offs
94
Are oceanic thresher sharks in groups or solitary?
Can be solitary or small groups
95
What is the appearance of the oceanic thresher shark?
- Dark blue to grey with silvery and white underside
- Long upper lobe of tail almost body length
- Long pectoral fins with straight leading edge and rounded tip
96
What is the occurrence of the oceanic thresher shark in Bira?
Uncommon
97
What is the position in the water column of the oceanic thresher shark?
Pelagic
98
What is the IUCN status of the oceanic thresher shark?
Endangered
99
What is the scientific name for the snaggletooth shark?
Hempipristis elongata (Klunzinger, 1871)
100
What is the maximum size of the Snaggletooth shark?
up to 2.3 m
101
Where do you find the snaggletooth shark?
Oceanic, sandy and reef areas
102
Is the snaggletooth shark found in groups or solitary?
Solitary
103
what is the appearance of the snaggletooth shark?
- Grey to brown without marking
- Rounded snout
- Fill slits long
- Fins strongly curber;pectoral, pelvic, anal and caudal fins separated almost in a similar distance through the whole body
- Bump on head
104
What is the distinguishing feature of the snaggletooth shark?
Bump shaped head
105
What is the occurrence of the snaggletooth shark in Bira?
Extremely rare
106
What position in the water column is the snaggletooth shark?
Benthopelagic
Benthic
107
what is the IUCN status of the snaggletooth shark?
Vulnerable
108
What is the scientific name of the scalloped hammerhead shark?
Sphyrna lewini (Griffitih & smith, 1834)
109
What is the maximum size of the scalloped hammerhead?
up to 4.3, commonly 3 m
110
Where do you find the scalloped hammerhead?
Open water off seaward reef
111
Are scalloped hammerheads in groups or solitary?
Can be solitary but commonly in schools
112
What is the appearance of the scalloped hammerhead?
- Grey with white underside
- Hammer head with prominent central indetation on front edge &"scalloped"
113
What is the distinguishing feature of the scalloped hammerhead?
Regular sized dorsal fin
114
What is the occurrence of the scalloped hammerhead in Bira?
Uncommon
115
What is the position in the water column of the scalloped hammerhead?
Pelagic
116
What is the IUCN status of the scalloped hammerhead?
Critically endangered
117
What is the scientific name of the great hammerhead?
Sphyrna Mokarran (Ruppell, 1837)
118
what is the maximum size of the great hammerhead?
up to 6.1 m, commonly 4.5 m
119
Where do you find the great hammerhead?
Oceanic, rarely on the reef
120
Are great hammerheads in groups or solitary?
solitary
121
What is the appearance of the great hammerhead?
- Grey with white underside
- Hammerhead with front edge slightly curved
122
What is the distinguishing feature of the great hammerhead?
Very large dorsal fin
123
What is the occurrence of the great hammerhead in Bira?
Extremely rare
124
What is the position in the water column of the great hammerhead?
Pelagic
125
What is the IUCN status of the great hammerhead?
Critically endangered
126
What is the scientific name of the whale shark?
Rhincodon typus (Smith, 1828)
127
What is the maximum size of the whale shark?
up to 17 m, juvenile males mostly seen 10 m
128
Where do you see the whale shark?
Oceanic, occasionally around reefs
129
Are whale sharks in groups or solitary?
Solitary
130
What is the appearance of the whale shark?
- Hugh, dark grey with white underside
- numerous white spots scattered on head and arranged in rows and bars on the body
- Broad mouth, ridges on side of body
131
What is the distinguishing feature of a whale shark?
- size, shape & pattern
132
What is the occurrence of the whale shark in Bira?
Uncommon
133
What position in the water column are whale sharks?
Pelagic
134
What is the IUCN status of whale sharks?
Endangered
135
What is the scientific name of the Indonesian wobbegong shark?
Orectolobus leptolineatus (Last, Pogonoski & White, 2010)
136
What is the size of the Indonesia Wobbegon Shark?
up to 1.2 m
137
Where do you find the indonesia wobbegong shark?
Benthic; ambush predator
138
Are indonesian wobbegong sharks solitary or in groups?
Solitary
139
What is the appearance of the indonesian wobbegong shark?
- Striking colour pattern of fine vermiculations, with alternating dark brownish bars and saddles. Nasal barbel with branch with 2-3 simple lobes
140
What is the distinguishing feature of the indonesian wobbegong shark?
Pattern on dorsal side
141
What is the occurrence of the indonesian wobbegong shark in Bira?
Rare
142
What is the IUCN status of the indonensian wobbegong shark?
Not evaluated
143
What is the scientific name of the orante wobbegong shark?
Orectolobus ornatu (De Vis, 1883)
144
what is the size of the ornate wobbegong shark?
up to 2.9 m
145
Where do you find the ornate wobbegong shark?
Benthic; ambush predator
146
Are ornate wobbegong sharks solitary or in groups?
Solitary
147
What is the appearance of the ornate wobbegong shark?
- Black with light areas between dark saddles marked with dark, light-centred blotches and spots, not reticulated lines
148
What is the distinguishing feature of the ornate wobbegong shark?
Pattern on dorsal side
149
What is the occurrence of the ornate wobbegong shark in Bira?
Extremely rare
150
What is the IUCN status of the ornate wobbegong shark?
Least concern
151
What is the scientific name of the tasselled wobbegong shark?
Eucrossorhnius dasypogon (Bleeker, 1867)
152
What is the maximum size of the tasselled wobbegong?
up to 1.3 m
153
Where do you find the tasselled wobbegong?
Benthic; inshore, reef-associated
154
Are tasselled wobbegongs in groups or solitary?
solitary
155
What is the appearance of the tasselled wobbegong?
- intricate network of dark-edged spots
- broad, flattened head with continuous fringe of branched tentacles around mouth
156
What is the distinguishing feature of the tasselled wobbegong?
Tasselled mouth tentacles
157
What is the occurrence of the tasselled wobbegong in Bira?
Not present
158
What is the IUCN status of the tasselled wobbegong?
Least concern
159
What is the scientific name of the tawny nurse shark?
Nebrius ferrugineus (lesson, 1831)
160
What is the maximum size of the tawny nurse shark?
up to 3.2 m
161
Where do you find the tawny nurse shark?
Benthopelagic and benthic
162
Are tawny nurse sharks solitary or in groups?
Can be solitary or small groups
163
What is the appearance of the tawny nurse shark?
- Brown to greyish brown without marking
- Pair of short nasal barbell
- Close-set dorsal fins or nearly same height
- Wide face and small eyes
164
what is the distinguishing feature of the tawny nurse shark?
Wide face and dorsal fin position
165
What is the occurrence of the tawny nurse shark in Bira?
Rare
166
What is the IUCN status of the tawny nurse shark?
Vulnerable
167
What is the scientific name of the brownbanded bamboo shark?
Chiloscyllium punctatum (muller & Henle, 1838)
168
Wha is the maximum size of the brownbanded bamboo shark?
up to 1.4 m
169
Where do you find the brownbanded bamboo shark?
benthic and benthopelagic
170
Are brownbanded bamboo sharks solitary or in groups?
Solitary
171
What is the appearance of the brownbanded bamboo shark?
- Brown to greysish brown
- May retain hint of juvenile banded pattern
- Pectoral and ventral fins forward of dorsal fins
- Narrow face
172
What is the distinguishing feature of the brownbanded bamboo shark?
Narrow face and hint of bands
173
What is the occurrence of the brownbanded bamboo shark in Bira?
Uncommon
174
What is the IUCN status of the brownbanded bamboo shark?
Near Threatened
175
What is the scientific name of the coral catshark?
atelomycterus marmoratus (bennett, 1830)
176
What is the size of the coral catshark?
up to 70 cm
177
where do you find the coral catshark?
Benthic; inshore, reef-associated
178
Are coral catsharks in groups or solitary?
solitary
179
what is the appearance of the coral catshark?
- slender body, short head and tail
- dorsal fins angled backwards
- numerous black and white spots which often merge into horizontal bards
- reclusive in daylight hours
180
What is the distinguishing feature of the coral catshark?
spot markings
181
What is the occurrence of the coral catshark in Bira?
Uncommon
182
What is the IUCN status of the coral catshark?
Near threatened
