The silky shark, Carcharhinus falciformis, is a large pelagic shark of tropical and warm temperate seas.
This species is found worldwide in tropical and warm temperate (> 23 °C) seas. It is usually pelagic, but sometimes approaches the coast, especially at remote offshore islands. It is found to depths of at least 500 m.
This shark has a large 'typical' shark body, slender with 'silky' smooth skin. It is brown-grey dorsally and white below with no special markings. It can be distinguished from other sharks by the second dorsal fin, which has a very long free tip at the rear, about two and a half times the fin height. The first dorsal fin is also farther back than on any other carcharhiniform, beginning behind the pectoral fins.[1]
The maximum size is 3.3 m, but the length is usually not more than 2.4 m.
The silky shark is a predator. It feeds mainly on inshore and pelagic bony fishes, but also eats squid and pelagic crab.
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