Sharks Codexery

Broadfin shark

A tropical requiem shark with broad pectoral fins, now endangered.

Last updated

Broadfin shark

Müller & Henle · via Wikipedia: Broadfin shark · Public domain

This tropical shark gets its name from the unusually wide shape of its pectoral fins.[1] The IUCN lists this shark as endangered.[2][3]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassChondrichthyes
  4. SubclassElasmobranchii
  5. DivisionSelachii
  6. OrderCarcharhiniformes
  7. FamilyCarcharhinidae
  8. GenusLamiopsis
  9. SpeciesLamiopsis temminckii

Named by (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)

Close relatives

Other species of Lamiopsis with a Codexery entry.

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Broadfin shark (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 281270 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Endangered (EN)

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN▲ this species
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2021

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Broadfin shark and a personA 1.75 m long broadfin shark drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.1.75 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 1.75 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Broadfin shark

Description

Females and males look different from one another.[4] Females reach a maximum size of about 175 cm, and the reported size of males has increased.[4] Males have calcified claspers—external appendages that help with reproduction—on the ends of their pelvic fins.[4] Throughout their range, you'll find female and male broadfin sharks spread out pretty evenly.[4]

Biology and ecology

Crustaceans, teleost fish, and cephalopods make up the bulk of the broadfin shark's diet.[5] This shark sits at the top of the food chain in its coastal home, but a tapeworm called Sanguilevator yearsleyi can parasitize it by stealing blood.[5] This shark gives birth to live pups that are born with an umbilical scar.[4] A female carries two to four embryos in each uterus, so a whole litter usually adds up to about eight pups.[4]

Late-stage embryos show up most often from April to August, and scientists think most births happen between March and September.[4] Newborn broadfin sharks measure anywhere from 41.8 to 65.0 centimeters long.[4] This shark has a low productivity rate, so its population can't bounce back quickly from declines.[4]

Human interactions

The broadfin shark is endangered globally, but this status may need reassessment.[1] The last assessment happened before scientists identified the Borneo broadfin shark as a separate species, so mixing up the two could have thrown off the population numbers.[1]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Broadfin shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: White, "Resurrection and redescription of the Borneo Broadfin Shark Lamiopsis tephrodes (Fowler, 1905) (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae)", CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper, 2010, p. 45–59 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Broadfin shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Pal, "An overview of the fishes of Indian Sundarbans and their conservation status", Journal of Environment and Sociobiology, 2014, p. 171–185 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. IUCN Red List assessment (category and year as redistributed in GBIF's IUCN Red List checklist). IUCN Red List terms: fact (category, year) cited, no text reused. iucnredlist.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Broadfin shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Akhilesh, "Biological observations on the broadfin shark Lamiopsis temminckii (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae)", Journal of Fish Biology, 2017-10-16, p. 1721–1729 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Broadfin shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Akhilesh, "Biological observations on the broadfin shark Lamiopsis temminckii (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae)", Journal of Fish Biology, 2017-10-16, p. 1721–1729; Caira, "An unusual blood sequestering tapeworm (Sanguilevator yearsleyi n. gen., n. sp.) from Borneo with description of Cathetocephalus resendezi n. sp. from Mexico and molecular support for the recognition of the order (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Broadfin shark (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Same family (Carcharhinidae)

Atlantic sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon terraenovaeAustralian blackspot shark Carcharhinus coatesi

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Elsewhere in Sharks

Whale shark · Carpet sharksSawshark · Dogfish sharks and relativesHammerhead shark · Hammerhead sharksGreat white shark · Mackerel sharksBasking shark · Mackerel sharksMegalodon · Mackerel sharks

Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. To which genus does the broadfin shark belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Lamiopsis.

From the source: “The broadfin shark (Lamiopsis temminckii) is a tropical whaler shark, characterized by the broad shape of its pectoral fins.”

2. What is the IUCN Red List category of the broadfin shark?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Endangered.

From the source: “Its current status according to the IUCN is endangered.”

3. To which biological family does the broadfin shark belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Carcharhinidae.

From the source: “They are classified as requiem sharks of the family Carcharhinidae.”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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