80 Commercial Shark Fishing in the Caribbean Area 



Figure 24 



Genus Eulamia, Requiem Sharks. 



Figure 24. Eulamia longimanus, White-Tipped Shark. 



Description: This species is set apart from all other Atlantic 

 members of its genus by the facts (in combination) that the rear 

 tip of its anal reaches very nearly to the origin of its lower caudal 

 lobe (this, though apparently minor, is perhaps its most distinctive 

 single character), and that its snout is both broadly rounded and 

 extremely short in front of its nostrils, leiuas, Figure 27, alone 

 rivals it in this respect). Its first dorsal fin, also, is much more 

 broadly rounded than in any other local Eulamia except for 

 jalciformis. There is no danger of confusing it with this species 

 since its pectorals are so much longer. (Compare Figure 24 with 

 Figure 23). 



Color: Varying from light gray or pale brown to slaty blue 

 above ; yellowish or dirty white below ; the tips of the dorsals 

 greyish or pure white. In embryos, however, the tips of the fins 

 are more or less sooty or even black. 



Size: Born at a length of a little more than 2 feet, maturity 

 appears not to be reached until at a length of about 6 feet. The 

 maximum size is 12 to 13 feet or perhaps even longer. 



Habits: This appears to be strictly an offshore species seldom 

 encountered near land unless over deep water. It feeds on fish, 

 of which it is said to destroy great numbers, and it is so well 

 armed that it would not be astonishing to find it preying on large 

 fish as well as small, or on sea turtles. It has been accused, 

 vaguely, of being a man-eater. 



Range: Tropical and subtropical Atlantic, including the Med- 

 iterranean. Off' the American coast its nominal range is from the 

 coasts of Uruguay and southern Brazil, to the Bahamas, and from 

 there northward in the Gulf Stream perhaps to the offing of south- 

 ern New England. Because it is seldom seen inshore and because 

 it has often been confused with other species, knowledge of its 

 distribution in an area is scant. Published records of localities 

 where it has been seen and word of mouth reports of "white-tipped 

 sharks" as often seen, added to the fact that twenty-eight of them have 

 been in sight at one time, proves that it is not only widespread among 

 the West Indies and in the Caribbean, but common there. 



