Silky shark: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the silky shark lives – recorded in 28 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Carcharhinus falciformis
Group	Sharks
Status	Vulnerable (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	28 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America
Class	Cartilaginous fish
Order	Carcharhiniformes
Family	Carcharhinidae

Where does the silky shark live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the silky shark in 28 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Wikidata gives its range as: Brazil, New Guinea.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the silky shark endangered?

The silky shark’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Vulnerable” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the silky shark?

The silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) is a cartilaginous fish in the order Carcharhiniformes and the family Carcharhinidae, genus Carcharhinus. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the silky shark

The silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), also known by numerous names such as blackspot shark, gray whaler shark, olive shark, ridgeback shark, sickle shark, sickle-shaped shark and sickle silk shark, is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, named for the smooth texture of its skin. It is one of the most abundant sharks in the pelagic zone, and can be found around the world in tropical waters. Highly mobile and migratory, this shark is most often found over the edge of the continental shelf down to 50 m (164 ft). The silky shark has a slender, streamlined body and typically grows to a length of 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in). It can be distinguished from other large requiem sharks by its relatively small first dorsal fin with a curving rear margin, its tiny second dorsal fin with a long free rear tip, and its long, sickle-shaped pectoral fins. It is a deep, metallic bronze-gray above and white below.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Silky shark (revision 1368921270), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q252029 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).