Portal:Sharks/Selected article
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus, is a large pelagic shark of tropical and warm temperate seas. It is named after its oceanic habitat (living in deep waters), and the white tips of its fins. It is a stocky shark, most notable for its long, 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.
Recent studies have shown that its numbers are in steep decline — its large fins are highly valued as the chief ingredient of shark-fin soup and, as with other shark species, the oceanic whitetip faces mounting pressure from fishing throughout its range.
