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| Whitetips are characterized by a white tip on their dorsal fin. |
The Whitetip Reef Shark is one of the most common sharks in the Indo-Pacific. They live almost exclusively in coral reef habitats, including those surrounding the Galapagos Islands, and prefer a swimming depth of 8-40 feet. This shark is easy to identify due to the white spot on the dorsal fin, hence the name. Whitetips are very slender compared to other shark species. It grows no more than eight feet long, while it only weighs around forty pounds.
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| Whitetips can be found in areas with coastal reefs. |
Whitetips are very social fish, preferring to spend time in groups rather than being alone. Unlike some other species of sharks, Whitetips are not territorial, although they do spend significant time in the same area. Since they cannot swim as fast as other species, they prefer hunting in the nighttime. Their diet consists of eels, crustaceans, octopus, crabs, and lobsters. Whitetips are not a real threat to humans. They like to swim close to observe but rarely attack swimmers. Mating behavior consists of a male pursuing a female for a long period of time. Eventually, he will grasp her pectoral fin, which initiates the mating ritual. Females typically give birth to between 1 and 6 offspring. Life spans can last up to 25 years.
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| A stingray burrowing on the sea floor. |
Stingrays are normally found in shallow coastal waters around the equator. Like sharks, stingrays are cartilaginous fish, which means that their skeletons are made up of cartilage instead of bone. Most varieties of stingrays have bodies with broad fins that run the full length of their bodies. Most species of stingrays possess one or more venemous stingers on their tail. These are only used in instances of self-defense. The color of stingrays allows them to blend into the sand or mud they often hide in from predators above. Stingrays can be up to 6.5 feet in length and can weigh up to 750 pounds.
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| Stingrays can be found in all waters around the equator. |
Stingrays are not very active fish. They spend the majority of their time buried and waiting for prey to pass. They prefer to hunt in the nighttime for crabs, shrimp, worms, and small bottom-dwelling fish. Stingrays have a natural instinct to sting what they come into contact with, so they are a threat to humans swimming in their path. They are very curious and not fearful. Mating behavior consists of a male following around a female and biting her until she responds. Females normally lay between 5 and 13 offspring. The average lifespan of a stingray ranges from 15 to 25 years of age.
Reflection
These two species of fish look very different but are quite similar to each other. Both prefer to hunt at night and live at shallow depths in warm tropical waters. While the Whitetip Reef Shark is not much of a threat to humans, stingrays are because of their aggressive behavior. Stingrays are more abundant than Whitetips due to the Whitetips' slow reproduction rate and limited habitat. Stingrays are much easier to identify due to their unique flat bodies and their long fins. After reading this article, why are you more afraid of stingrays than Whitetip Reef Sharks?
I am more afraid of stingrays than Whitetip Reef Sharks because Whitetip Reef Sharks like to observe humans and rarely attack them, whereas stingrays sting everything they come into contact with, including humans.
ReplyDeleteThe Whitetip Reef Shark does not frighten me as much as a stingray because the Whitetip likes to observe humans not attack them unlike the stingray which burry themselves in the sand waiting to attack anything.
ReplyDelete