Carcharhinus longimanus

Family	Scientific Name	Author	Year	Common Name
Carcharhinidae	Carcharhinus longimanus	(Poey)	1861	Oceanic Whitetip Shark

All Carcharhinus — Upper labial folds short to rudimentary, almost vertical at mouth corners. Spiracles usually absent. Lateral keels usually absent. Second dorsal fin considerably smaller than first, height 0.2-0.5 times first dorsal-fin height. Midlength of first dorsal-fin base usually closer to pectoral-fin insertions than to pelvic-fin origins, sometimes equidistant between pectoral and pelvic-fin bases. No gill rakers. Back grey, blue-grey, or brownish. Preanal ridges very short or absent.

Carcharhinus longimanus

Unique Characters: Pectoral and first dorsal fins very broad distally and broadly rounded apically, only slightly tapering toward their apices. Most fin tips mottled white in adults, also black-tipped and with black dorsal saddle-marks on the caudal peduncle in juveniles. Interdorsal ridge present.

Similar Species:

All other Carcharhinus species have pectoral and first dorsal fins tapering distally and usually pointed or narrowly rounded. Fins not mottled white, often black tipped but without black saddles on the caudal peduncle.

Gallery