Dusky Shark

Fascinating facts about the Dusky Shark

• Dusky sharks can travel farther than a cross-country road trip, with recorded migrations of up to 3,800 km (2,400 mi). One tracking study in the northern Gulf of Mexico found it spends most of its time at depths of 10-80 m (33-262 ft), while making occasional forays below 200 m (660 ft); this species has been known to dive as deep as 400 m (1,300 ft). They move poleward in summer and back toward the equator in winter.
• A 2 m (6.6 ft) long dusky shark can bite with a force of 60 kg (130 lb) over a 2 mm² (0.0031 in²) tooth tip, the highest bite force measured for any shark. The bite strength, combined with its broad diet that includes bony fishes, other sharks, rays, and occasional marine mammals.
• Female dusky sharks give birth only once every three years because they gestate for 22-24 months, then rest for a year before becoming pregnant again. Litters contain 3-14 pups, typically 6-12, and newborns are 70-100 cm (27.6-39.3 in) long. This slow reproductive cycle, coupled with sexual maturity at about 20 years, makes the species extremely vulnerable to over-fishing; populations off the eastern United States have fallen to just 15-20 % of their 1970s levels.
• Dusky sharks are among the largest members of their genus, regularly reaching 3.2 m (10 ft) and 160-180 kg (350-400 lb), with maximum recorded sizes of 4.2 m (14 ft) and 372 kg (820 lb). Females grow larger than males, with some individuals reported up to 4.5 m (15 ft) and 500 kg (1,100 lb). Their size, combined with a streamlined, slender body and long sickle-shaped pectoral fins (about one-fifth of body length), reinforcing their status as a top-level predator.
• Dusky sharks have the strongest bite of any shark species, producing 60 kg of force when their jaws are fully closed, and their teeth are broad, triangular, and serrated on both sides. This bite power, together with a diet that can include over a tenth of their body weight in a single meal, enables them to tackle large, tough prey such as groupers, rays, and even occasional marine mammals.

Sources

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• Wikipedia

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