Marine Conservation in Fiji by Cornelius Tyson

Author:Cornelius Tyson [Tyson, Cornelius]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781532021510
Publisher: iUniverse
Published: 2017-04-21T04:00:00+00:00

I.U.C.N. Species

Many of the species that GVI targets on both normal surveys and opportunistic surveys are on the I.U.C.N. Red List. These were described above. Other species on the I.U.C.N. Red List not yet described include: Requiem Sharks, Carcharhinidae; Nurse Sharks, Ginglymostomatidae; Stingrays, Dasyatidae; Eagle Rays, Myliobatidae; and Sea Turtle, Cheloniidae. The descriptions below of these organisms come largely from the manuals entitled Reef Creature Identification for the Tropical Pacific by Gerald Allen (2012) and Reef Fish Identification for the Tropical Pacific by Gerald Allen (2012), and from personal notes taken while surveying and studying these species in Fiji.

Requiem Sharks, Carcharhinidae

Requiem Sharks have the stereotypical shark shape. There are 48 different species of Requiem Sharks. These sharks are streamlined and powerful with a large dorsal fin, pointed snouts, distinct pectoral fins, and a tail with a large upper lobe and smaller lower lobe. The main species that were observed were Bull Sharks (Carcharhinus leucas), Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier), Lemon Sharks (Negaprion acutidens), Silvertip Shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus), Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), and Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus).

The Bull Shark is a heavy bodied bulky shark that can grow up to 3.4 meters. It has a dark gray upper half of body that fades to a white bottom half. The bulky body slopes down to a blunt snout. They are considered to be the most dangerous shark in the world because they are responsible for more shark attacks on humans than any other shark. However, this can be attributed to the fact that Bull Sharks, unlike other sharks, can be found in tropical water, colder temperate water, salt water, brackish water, and freshwater. Therefore, the chances of running into this shark are much higher than any other shark which results in more chances for shark attacks. Bull sharks spend the majority of their lives in open water and on reefs. Each year, mature bull sharks travel and congregate in traditional mating grounds. They give birth in the same fresh water river that they were born in. Bull Sharks can live in depths of up to 152 meters.

Tiger Sharks are a large shark that can grow up to 5.5 meters. They have distinctive grayish white stripes along the side of the body, a very large head and mouth, and an elongated tail. Tiger Sharks are a very large shark that is thought to be very dangerous, yet little is really known about their behavior. They are not a schooling shark and prefer to be on their own. They are not thought to be a localized shark and often swim great distances. They can live in depths up to 75 meters.

Lemon Sharks can grow up to 3.1 meters. They have distinctive long sharp teeth that sometimes stick out of their mouth. They have a small pointed head and the mouth seems as if it is smiling. It has two dorsal fins that are the same size. They are commonly found swimming along the bottom in water between one and 30 meters.

The other shark species commonly observed in Fiji is the Tawny Nurse Shark (Nebrius ferrugineus).

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