C+amblyrhynchos

=Grey Reef Shark =

 
 * ANIMAL CLASSIFICATION

Kingdom:** ANIMALIA **Order: **  CARCHARHINIFORMES 
 * Phylum: ** CHORDATA
 * Class: **  CHORDATA
 * Family:** CARCHARHINIDAE


 * LOCATION of ECOSYTEM



Ocean: ** PACIFIC **Salinity:** 34 - 36 <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Georgia, serif;">
 * Latitude: ** 60 degrees N - 40 degrees S.
 * Temp. of Ocean: ** 25 - 28.5 degrees


 * PHYSCIAL HABITAT FEATURES **


 * <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">Currents :** Aleutian Current, Kuroshio Current, Oyashia Current ,

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: arial;"><span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">**<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT **

<span style="color: rgb(0,128,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">**<span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">Year Assessed: ** <span style="color: rgb(0,128,128);">2000
 * <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia, serif;">Justification: ** Its restricted habitat choice, site fidelity, inshore distribution, small litter size, relatively late age at maturity and increasing unmanaged fishing pressure suggests that this species may be under threat.

<span style="color: rgb(128,0,128);">CHARACTERISTICS of C. AMBLYRHYNCHOS
<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">**Estimated Population**: <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Unknown
 * POPULATION **

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">**SURVIVAL TRENDS** <span style="color: rgb(0,128,128);">groups of around 30 sharks spend the day together in a small part of their collective home range, dispersing at night into shallower water to forage for food.

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128);">**APPEARANCE** <span style="color: rgb(0,128,128);">

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">**FOOD CHAIN / WEB** <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia, serif;">**It Eats:** <span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0,128,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">bony fish, cephalopods and crustaceans. <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0); font-family: Georgia, serif;">
 * Gets Eaten By:** <span style="color: rgb(0,128,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">Silver tip Sharks

<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">**REPRODUCTION <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">Reproduction: <span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0,128,128);">Mate through internal fertilization <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);"> Length of Gestation: <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128);">about 12 months before birth <span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,0,0);"> Offspring: <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128);">1-6 offspring at a time <span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,0,0);">Take Care of Young: <span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128);"> <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128);">once the babies are born they are left to feed and protect themselves. <span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,0,0);">

ADAPTIONS IN ORDER TO SURVIVE <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">Behavior: <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128);">Gray reef sharks are social, maintaining daytime schools, but becoming more active nocturnally. This species usually swims slowly (about 0.5 mph), seemingly inactive. However, because of its extremely sensitive perception channels, it is always constantly aware of its surroundings. <span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,0,0);">Perception: <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128);"> perceives its environment very much through its excellent sense of smell. <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">Physical Features: <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 12px; color: rgb(0,128,128);">ectothermic, bilateral symmetry, and heterothermic <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128);">Most unique is its electromagnetic sense. This is facilitated by pores known as "ampullae of Lorenzini" that are concentrated around the snout. As sharks move through the earth's magnetic field, they create an electric field. By sensing this field, they can detect the strength and direction of it. This is the grey reef shark's navigation system.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF SPECIES <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);">Negative: <span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0,128,128);">M <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128); line-height: normal; font-family: verdana;">ay occasionally bite humans. The bites are serious, but rarely fatal. <span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0,128,128);"> <span style="color: rgb(0,0,0);"> Positive: <span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128);">Generally a harmless and inquisitive species, studies are conducted on them quite easily. Ecotourism in the form of "shark diving" has also recently blossomed into a large industry.

HUMAN INFLUENCE** <span style="color: rgb(0,128,128); font-family: '-webkit-sans-serif';">Grey reef sharks are often curious about divers when they first enter the water and may approach quite closely, though they lose interest on repeat dives.They can become dangerous in the presence of food, and tend to be more aggressive if encountered in open water than on the reef. <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">

<span style="color: rgb(128,0,128);">REASONS FOR ENDANGERMENT
<span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">
 * HUMAN THREATS:** <span style="color: rgb(0,128,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">T <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">**<span style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128); line-height: 21px;">here are several aspects of the biology and behavior of this species that make it particularly vulnerable to over-fishing.

ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS:** <span style="font-weight: normal; color: rgb(0,128,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">The grey reef shark controls a lot of the population of the species below it in the food chain. The lack of balance in its population due to overfishing also throws off the population of the other fish. <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">


 * CONSERVATION EFFORTS:** <span style="font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0,128,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">While the grey reef shark has not been identified as endangered as of yet, depletion of the species has been noticed around the Maldive Islands, and may be occurring in other parts of its range. <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">


 * SOlUTIONS:** <span style="color: rgb(0,128,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">They tend to live near shore so especially while fishing, fishermen should not go that near the shore or if they do they should be in shallow enough to see if the shark is going to get caught. <span style="color: rgb(0,0,128); font-family: Georgia, serif;">