One of the 26 sharks on WAnimals
Cartilaginous fish · Carcharhiniformes · Carcharhinidae
Silky Shark
Carcharhinus falciformis
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The silky shark owes its name to its skin, noticeably smoother and softer than that of other sharks. It is one of the most abundant oceanic sharks and also one of the most heavily caught: millions of individuals are estimated to die each year as bycatch in the tuna fishery, above all around fish aggregating devices.
Weight
50 kg – 350 kg
Size
2 m – 3.5 m
Lifespan
23 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Irregular activity
Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- It is one of the principal victims of the tuna fishery: it gathers beneath the fish aggregating devices used by purse seiners, and millions of individuals die each year as bycatch across the tropical oceans.
- Its skin is noticeably smoother than that of other sharks because its dermal denticles are smaller and more closely set, hence its name.
- It is extraordinarily inquisitive and approaches divers and boats, behaviour that makes it especially vulnerable to targeted fishing.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - cartilaginous skeleton (fish)
- Habitat & environment
- Tropical and subtropical oceanic waters of every ocean, down to 500 metres
- Sexual maturity
- 8 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 12 months of gestation
- Litter / clutch size
- 6.5 (average)
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharhinus_falciformis
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapWhere to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 20 de 30 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Silky Shark — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Blacktip Reef Shark
Carcharhinus melanopterus
VulnerableLemon Shark
Negaprion brevirostris
Near ThreatenedBull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
Critically EndangeredOceanic Whitetip Shark
Carcharhinus longimanus
Near ThreatenedTiger Shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
EndangeredCaribbean Reef Shark
Carcharhinus perezi
How to help
The silky shark is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 17 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about silky shark.
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