# Oceanic Whitetip Shark (*Carcharhinus longimanus*)

Oceanic Whitetip Sharks are known for their long, white-tipped fins! They are curious and often swim near boats.

- **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Open ocean
- **Also known as:** Oceanic White-tip Shark, Whitetip Shark

![Oceanic Whitetip Shark](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426652/objects/4723.jpg)

## Appearance

The Oceanic Whitetip Shark has a robust body with distinctively long, paddle-like pectoral fins and a rounded first dorsal fin. Its body is bronze to brownish-grey, contrasting with a white belly, and many fins display striking mottled white tips.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Elasmobranchii
- **Order:** Carcharhiniformes
- **Family:** Carcharhinidae
- **Genus:** Carcharhinus

## Interesting facts

- Often the first shark to appear at shipwrecks, drawn by distress.
- Their long, paddle-like fins help them glide through open waters.
- They hunt day and night, always searching for their next meal.
- They were once the most abundant large shark in tropical oceans!

## Special abilities

- **Distant Distress Detector:** Oceanic Whitetip Shark can sense struggling prey from vast distances because of its acute senses, helping them find food.
- **Pelagic Prowler:** Oceanic Whitetip Shark has a large, oily liver that helps them maintain buoyancy effortlessly in the open ocean.
- **Enduring Traveler:** Oceanic Whitetip Shark can cover vast distances because of its efficient body shape, helping them migrate across entire ocean basins.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 180-250 cm
- **Weight:** 20-170 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-15 years
- **Swim Speed:** 5 km/h
- **Maximum Depth:** 230 m
- **Water Type:** Saltwater

## Diet & Feeding

They mainly eat bony fish, squids, and sea birds, using their keen senses to find food.

- **Age differences:** Young sharks eat smaller fish and invertebrates; adults take larger prey.
- **Primary Foods:** Tuna, Mahi-mahi, Squid, Sea turtles, Seabirds, Carrion
- **Foraging Method:** Pursuit

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** Pilot fish (*Naucrates ductor*) — These fish swim alongside, eating scraps and parasites.
- **Hunts:** Yellowfin Tuna (*Thunnus albacares*) — Hunts these fast-swimming fish in the open ocean.
- **Hunts:** Mahi-mahi (*Coryphaena hippurus*) — Preys on these colorful fish, especially juveniles.
- **Symbiotic with:** Common Remora (*Echeneis naucrates*) — Attaches to the shark, hitching rides and eating scraps.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.
- [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life.

## Collections

- [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Oceanic Whitetip Shark?

Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Oceanic Whitetip Shark?

180-250 cm

### How much does Oceanic Whitetip Shark weigh?

20-170 kg

### How long does Oceanic Whitetip Shark live?

10-15 years

### What does Oceanic Whitetip Shark eat?

They mainly eat bony fish, squids, and sea birds, using their keen senses to find food.

### How fast can Oceanic Whitetip Shark swim?

5 km/h

### Where is Oceanic Whitetip Shark usually found?

Open ocean

### How does Oceanic Whitetip Shark hunt?

Pursuit

## More Fish

- [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*)
- [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*)
- [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*)
- [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*)

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Source: [Oceanic Whitetip Shark: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/oceanic-whitetip-shark)