Trivia question for Aug-14-2011

Carter likes sharks so he decided to feature this one for his trivia.  These sharks are found mainly along the subtropical and tropical parts of the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of North and South America, and around Pacific Islands. The longest of their kind was recorded at 13 ft long, but they are usually 8 to 10 ft. They like tropical water, and like to stay at moderate depths. They are often accompanied by remoras.

These sharks are a popular choice for study by scientists as they survive well in captivity, unlike many other species such as the great white, which die in captivity because of food refusal. The species is the best known of all sharks in terms of behavior and ecology, mainly thanks to the enormous effort of Samuel Gruber at the University of Miami who has been studying them both in the field and in the laboratory since 1967.

So here are Carter’s questions: Tell us what type of shark this is and where they get their name from?  Also, tell us from how far away can these guys detect potential prey?

Good Luck 😉

Answer:

Congratulations goes Angela Williams for being the first with the correct answer to our trivia about these sharks. The shark we featured is the Lemon Shark.  The lemon shark, is a shark that belongs to the family Carcharhinidae that can grow 10 feet long. It is known as the lemon shark because at certain depths, the light interaction with the local seawater can make this shark have a tanned and yellow pitted appearance, much like the surface of a lemon.

The lemon shark can detect a struggling fish from over half a mile away, as well as trace the faintest smell of blood in the water from 1,500-feet away.  Here is more on these resilient sharks: Lemon Shark You can also learn more about Dr. Samuel Gruber’s work at the University of Miami here: Dr Gruber and we also encourage you to learn more about how you can help save sharks from Shark Fining by visiting our post here: Save the Sharks

Thanks for playing along 😉