Product Description
This Galapagos shark, 3 1/2" figure includes hand painted features to give it realistic details that are true to natural anatomy. This figure is considered a high quality replica.
Galapagos shark, (Carcharhinus galapagensis), also called gray reef whaler, shark species belonging to the family Carcharhinidae. Galapagos sharks are considered to be a circumtropical species with strong preferences for warm, clear waters near reef systems or oceanic islands and generally over continental shelf areas. Although Galapagos sharks are found worldwide, they are most commonly concentrated in tropical regions of the world’s oceans. The species was first described from specimens captured near the Galapagos Islands, from which it derives its name. The Galapagos shark is a ridgeback shark with a prominent ridge on the dorsal surface between the first and second dorsal fins. Its dorsal surface is brown to grayish brown, and its underside is lighter. This coloration is similar to that of the dusky shark (C. obscurus), a shark with which it is often confused, though the dorsal fins of the Galapagos shark are somewhat larger. The pectoral fins of the Galapagos shark are longer and more pointed, and it has a very wide and rounded snout. The Galapagos shark is not as thoroughly studied as many other species and comparatively little is known of its life history patterns. Animals have been captured with total body lengths of 3.0–3.5 meters (9.8–11.5 feet), making it one of the largest carcharhinid sharks. Sexual maturity may be reached for males at a length of 170–236 cm (67–93 inches) and for females at a length of 235 cm (93 inches), though some estimates suggest maturity is reached at larger sizes. Little is known of their growth rates, though there is speculation that Galapagos sharks reach sexual maturity at ages of approximately ten years. Life spans have been estimated to be 20–25 years though, absent accurate studies of age and growth, these estimates are speculative. Galapagos sharks seem to prefer shallower water but have been taken from depths as great as nearly 280 meters (919 feet). Satellite studies from French Frigate Shoals in the Hawaiian Islands have further shown that Galapagos sharks are capable of making bounce dives (that is, steep dives followed by rapid ascents) that reach 680 meters (2,230 feet). In shallow waters, they seem to prefer regions with strong currents though no explanation has been given for this particular preference. That Galapagos sharks have also been taken from deeper waters suggests that they may venture into open ocean realms, perhaps as part of a movement or migratory behavior. Where they are found, they are generally present in large numbers. Some studies suggest that they account for up to 90–95 percent of the sharks present in some locations.
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