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The Galapagos shark, Carcharhinus galapagensis, is a species of requiem shark
Requiem shark

The requiem sharks refer to all members of the Carcharhinidae family that includes a family of migratory, live-bearing sharks of warm seas, sometimes also found in brackish or fresh water, such as the tiger shark, blue shark, bull shark, and milk shark....
 that was first named in 1905 after specimens were found in the seas around the Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands

Gal?pagos Islands are an archipelago of Island#Volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, 972 km west of continental Ecuador....
.

Galapagos shark was originally described as Carcharinus galapagensis in 1905. Its name was later changed to Carcharias galapagensis. This name was changed yet again later that same year, and it received its currently valid scientific name Carcharhinus galapagensis.

Galapagos shark is dark grey on top with an off-white belly and a black tail edge; its snout is long and rounded.






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The Galapagos shark, Carcharhinus galapagensis, is a species of requiem shark
Requiem shark

The requiem sharks refer to all members of the Carcharhinidae family that includes a family of migratory, live-bearing sharks of warm seas, sometimes also found in brackish or fresh water, such as the tiger shark, blue shark, bull shark, and milk shark....
 that was first named in 1905 after specimens were found in the seas around the Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands

Gal?pagos Islands are an archipelago of Island#Volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, 972 km west of continental Ecuador....
.

Taxonomy

The Galapagos shark was originally described as Carcharinus galapagensis in 1905. Its name was later changed to Carcharias galapagensis. This name was changed yet again later that same year, and it received its currently valid scientific name Carcharhinus galapagensis.

Anatomy and appearance

The Galapagos shark is dark grey on top with an off-white belly and a black tail edge; its snout is long and rounded. The Galapagos' dorsal fin originates over its Pectoral axis, and it is rounded like the shark's snout; however, the tip of the dorsal fin is angled. Their average length is around 10 ft (3 m). The Galapagos shark can be found in warm tropical waters at depths ranging from 16 to 200 ft (5 to 60 m).

Diet

They are benthic feeders, meaning they hunt prey from the sea floor, such as fish and octopus
Octopus

The octopus is a cephalopod of the order Octopoda that inhabits many diverse regions of the ocean, especially coral reefs. The term may also refer to only those creatures in the genus Octopus ....
es. Adult Galapagos sharks are also cannibalistic, feeding on their own young if encountered.

Distribution and habitat

Its distribution is widespread but patchy with populations occurring at many widely separated island sites and also in some coastal areas in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian
Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean ....
 oceans. It seems that there is little or no migration between these populations.

Reproduction

Reproduction is viviparous. Litters can range from 6 to 16 pups.

Relationship to humans

It is classed as "Near threatened" because it may be subject to high levels of fishing pressure in many areas of its range.

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