Sharkophile Staff

April 25, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

SharkoFiles: Spiny Dogfish

The name of the spiny dogfish shark is derived from the sharp, venomous spines in front of each dorsal fin of the shark.

April 23, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

Sharkwater VR to premiere at EarthXInteractive festival

Sharkwater VR, an interactive virtual reality look at the underwater world of sharks produced using footage from late filmmaker Rob Stewart, will be a headliner EarthxInteractive 2019.

April 22, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

Shark catches being underreported in smaller fisheries

A study of small-scale fisheries operating from Kenya, Zanzibar and Madagascar, has revealed the massive underreporting of sharks and rays caught annually in the region. Dominated by requiem, hammerhead, ground and hound sharks, the total annual catch of these vulnerable species equates to around 35,000 tonnes. Led by experts at Newcastle University, UK, and published in the […]

April 20, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

VIDEO: Watch as great white shark stalks prey in kelp forest

A new study found that some great white sharks in South Africa may enter kelp beds to hunt for seals, a behavior that had rarely been observed. Researchers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium have used satellite tracking tags equipped with underwater cameras to observe these large predators in their natural environment by providing a “shark’s-eye-view” of […]

April 19, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

Shark bite incidents exploited for political gain

A new study by University of Sydney public policy expert Dr Christopher Pepin-Neff found that politicians manipulate shark bites incidents to influence public sentiment and protect their own interests.

April 18, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

SharkoFiles: Spinner Shark

The spinner shark is a fast and agile predator. Among the shark species, spinner shark method of feeding is unique by spinning out of the water in quick bursts of speed to catch a prey. The spinner shark’s body is slender and often mistaken for a Blacktip shark due to its grey or black tip […]

April 11, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

Shark Talks: MarAlliances’ Gabriela Ochoa

In 2011, the government of Honduras declared the country’s waters a shark sanctuary. The move obliged indigenous peoples who have been catching sharks for generations and for whom the fish represent an important source of income to stop their shark fishing. Five years later, in 2016, a decree allowed for a modification to the law stipulating that sharks caught […]

April 4, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

Seals to blame for increase in great white population off Cape Cod

Mark Skomal, biologist and senior scientist at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, focused on the recent explosion in the great white shark population off the coast of Cape Cod during a recent presentation at the Harvard Museum of Science & Culture. Skomal, who has been tagging and tracking sharks in the area for the last […]

March 25, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

IUCN lists 17 shark species as threatened with extinction

The shortfin mako, the world’s fastest known shark, which can reach speeds of up to 43 miles an hour, is one step closer to extinction. According to the Shark Specialist Group (SSG) of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), which assessed the population trends of 58 species of sharks and rays and updated their […]

March 22, 2019 by Sharkophile Staff

SharkoFiles: Largetooth Sawfish

Sharks and rays are some of the world’s most threatened animals, with a quarter of all species at risk of extinction. Among the sharks and rays, sawfish are some of the most threatened, with all five species listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The Largetooth Sawfish […]