Facts about School Sharks
The school shark, Galeorhinus galeus, is a hound shark of the family Triakidae. It is also known as tope shark, soupfin shark or snapper shark. The school shark has a long, pointed snout, a large mouth, and small blade-like teeth. The school sharks grows to 2 m long. The school sharks are found worldwide in subtropical seas. The second dorsal fin of these sharks is about as large as the anal fin and the terminal caudal fin lobe is as long as the rest of the fin. It is the only member of the genus Galeorhinus. It has been shown to be pelagic in the open ocean (frequently caught on floating tuna longlines over deep water, and many New Zealand-tagged specimens have been recaptured in Australia). They are found at depths of up to 550 m. Reproduction is ovoviviparous. The school shark is mainly demersal on continental and insular shelves, but is also found on the upper slopes, at depths from near shore to 550 m. It is greyish above, white below, and the young have black markings on their fins. There is pronounced partial segregation by size and sex in some areas. The school shark occurs in small schools that are highly migratory in higher latitudes in their range. The school shark feeds on fishes (bottom as well as pelagic species), crustaceans, cephalopods, worms, and echinoderms. |
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