Not just Shark
Pictures: Elasmodiver contains photos of sharks, skates, rays, and
chimaera's from around the world. It began as a simple web based
field guide to help divers find the best places to encounter
different species of sharks and rays but it has slowly evolved into
a much larger project containing information on all aspects of shark
diving and photography. There are now more than a thousand shark
pictures and sections on shark evolution, biology, and
conservation. There is a large library of reviewed shark books, a
constantly outdated shark taxonomy page, a monster list of shark
links, and deeper in the site there are numerous articles and
stories about shark encounters. Elasmodiver is now so difficult to
check for updates, that new information and pictures are listed on
an Elasmodiver Updates Page that can be accessed here:
If you're looking for a
broader range of marine life pictures the following links represent
a new area that contains pictures on other marine organisms and on
marine habitats. This expansion of Elasmodiver is in its first
stages but will eventually include pages on everything from sea
stars to nudibranchs. Creating this portal will take time and for
now it consists of a token offering of fish pictures. Please return
regularly to enjoy the progress.
Identification:
Black spot on tip of nose - often just
a vague smudge.Pectoral fins small.
Trailing
tips of pectorals, and first dorsal fin sometimes have thin light edge. Pelvic,
second dorsal, anal, and caudal fins dusky. Leading edge of lower caudal light.
Gill slits short. Overall coloration greyish brown with golden sheen.
Underside white.
Size:
Maximum length 137cm. 38-50cm at birth.
Maximum age 8 - 10.
Habitat:
Reefs, rubble, and sand flats. 18-64m.
Abundance
and distribution:
North Carolina to Brazil. An abundant shark but rarely observed.
Common in the Bahamas. A participant in shark feeds in St Maarten.
Behavior:Cruises
over sand and reefs in search of prey. Performs hunch display when threatened.
Reproduction:
Viviparous. Gives
birth to 3 - 6 pups after a 10 month gestation period. Possibly reproduces every
other year.
Observations: When attending
shark feeds, the Blacknose shark is a much faster swimmer than the
Caribbean reef. This may reflect its personality or may be due to it being in
close proximity to the Caribbean reef sharks.
Photographs:
St Maarten.
Similar species:
Similar to many other carcharinids. Best identified by black nose but not always
visible.
Reaction to divers:
Unlikely to get close enough for divers to identify underwater, without the use
of chum. In St Maarten, Blacknose sharks regularly approach the feeder, but hang
back if larger sharks are present. When they have the feed to themselves, they
sometimes become very aggressive.
Diving
logistics:
Blacknose shark are rarely seen. Doc Gruber's shark lab in Bimini, conducts a
feed where Blacknose sharks are present, but the best location to reliably see
them is the shark feed conducted by Dive Safaris in St Maarten, Netherland
Antilles. The feed is in 65ft of water and is conducted by a chain mail sleeved
shark feeder. Boats leave the dock for the short ride to Big Mamas Reef a few
times a week. Dive Safaris is the pioneer of shark feeding in this area.
Other diving locations submitted by
readers:
References
and further
reading:
Sharks of the World - Leonard Compagno et al. Princeton Press / Collins.
Reef Sharks and Rays of the World. Scott W. Michael. Sea Challengers.
Sharks and Rays - Elasmobranch Guide of the World. Ralf M. Hennemann. IKAN.
