Caribbean
reef shark, Carcharhinus perezii, to me was the most amazing organism
that we saw the whole time while in the Keys.
I saw this magnificent animal while on the dive at Looe Key on Thursday,
June 4. It was a great experience to be in the same waters as these
predators. Being able to watch them and
then actually swim right with them was the most amazing thing I have ever
done. I have always been interested in
shark research and conservation so this was a great experience.
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| Caribbean reef shark, Carcharhinus perezii |
Carcharhinus perezii
are in the
phylum Chordata, class Chondrichthyes, order Carcharhiniformes and family
Carcharhinidae. Also in the same family
is the dusky shark and silky sharks. They are found in tropical waters in the
Western Atlantic Ocean. They have a
stream line body that allows for fast and abrupt movements. The coloration is a grey with dusky-colored
fins. The body coloring is darker on top
than on the bottom of the shark. This
allows for them to blend in more with the environment. The Caribbean reef sharks can reach a length
of ten feet. These sharks are one of
largest apex predators of the coral reef system. They play a very crucial part in the reef
ecosystems they are in. They prey on
many varieties of the reef fish and also on the cephalopods in the reef.
Although these
sharks have been used by fisheries as meat, liver oil, fish meal and leather,
they are growing more and more as attractions for people. I think it is great that people are starting
to see just how beautiful these animals are instead of just being afraid of
them. Maybe by more people visiting
reefs, such as Looe Key, they will be more educated on not only the sharks but
also on the importance of the reef as a whole.
This education could then turn in to a wider conservation and understanding.
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| This picture was taken with no zoom! |
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