THE FINS UNITED INITIATIVE
  • About TFUI
    • TFUI Origins >
      • About TFUI Founder Melissa
      • TFUI Officers
    • Take a Bite
    • Get Involved
    • FAQ
  • Bite Blog
  • Education
    • The Sharks >
      • Shark Anatomy
    • The Skates & Rays
    • The Chimaeras
    • Why Environments Matter
    • The Threats
    • Open Access >
      • Behind the Fins: Interview series
      • Bite into Research
      • Shark Bites: Book Recommendations
      • Sustainable Seafood Apps
  • Fins United
    • Shark Party Ideas
    • Little Fins Nursery
    • Big Fins Reef
  • Contact

UNDERRATED CHONDRICHTHYAN 2020: Porbeagle shark

8/9/2020

 
The Fins United Initiative is excited to bring back the loved "Underrated Elasmobranch Spotlight" series through TFUI officer Jess Myers. Learn about the Chondrichthyans not shown on the big screen through her beautiful artwork!
Picture
Many of Discovery Channel’s Shark Week specials feature great white sharks, making them far from underrated. With that in mind, the first species of Fins United Initiative’s 4th Underrated Elasmobranch line up is often mistaken as a great white – the porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus).

It is understandable why some people get the species mixed up. They have enough similar characteristics that scientists put them in the same family, Lamnidae, meaning Mackerel or white sharks. Members of this family are known for their ability to keep their body temperature higher than the water surrounding them. Both species exhibit countershading, gray coloring on top with white underbellies, and share the typical torpedo-shaped body. You can tell them apart by looking at differences in fin placement, tooth shape, and many other small details. However, the biggest and easiest difference to spot may be the size difference. Great white sharks can grow to be over 20 feet long, while the max recorded length of a porbeagle shark was 11 feet.

The porbeagle’s scientific name Lamna nasus highlights their snout (“nasus” means nose). They use their nose (and ampullae of Lorenzini) to hunt for fish in schools or on the bottom of the ocean. They also eat squid and sometimes other sharks. Porbeagle sharks can tolerate waters as cold as -1˚C (30˚F) – pretty cold waters for a shark! They are a migratory species that have been recorded diving as deep as 1,360 meters (~4,450 feet).
Porbeagle shark meat is said to taste like swordfish meat making it a target for fisheries. They are also caught and used for fish oil, fishmeal, and shark-fin soup. As of 2018, this species was listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Reference image and information retrieved from FishBase.

WHAT UNDERRATED CHONDRICHTHYAN DO YOU THINK SHARK WEEK SHOULD SHOWCASE?


Comments are closed.

    Author

    TFUI Founder Melissa C. Marquez is author of all animal bios and "Behind the Fins" segments.
    ​
    A proud #LatinainSTEM, Marquez is a marine biologist who focuses on shark habitat use and movements; she is also a science communicator (follow her on Twitter) who focuses on diverse Chondrichthyan education and who focuses on the media coverage of sharks.
    You can learn more about her on her website.

    SEE MELISSA'S TEDx TALK HERE:

    Archives

    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

    Subscribe to The Fins United Initiative's monthly newsletter.

    SEARCH BY CATEGORIES

    Picture
    SHARKS
    Picture
    SKATES &
    ​RAYS
    Picture
    CHIMAERA

    READER FAVORITES

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM

    @finsunitedinitiative
    Picture
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • About TFUI
    • TFUI Origins >
      • About TFUI Founder Melissa
      • TFUI Officers
    • Take a Bite
    • Get Involved
    • FAQ
  • Bite Blog
  • Education
    • The Sharks >
      • Shark Anatomy
    • The Skates & Rays
    • The Chimaeras
    • Why Environments Matter
    • The Threats
    • Open Access >
      • Behind the Fins: Interview series
      • Bite into Research
      • Shark Bites: Book Recommendations
      • Sustainable Seafood Apps
  • Fins United
    • Shark Party Ideas
    • Little Fins Nursery
    • Big Fins Reef
  • Contact