Pelagic or oceanic sharks live in the open waters of the seas and oceans. They include the largest of all fish. They inhabit temperate and tropical waters and many are migratory. All sharks are predators. In many cases they are at the apex of their food chains and are therefore an important indicator species for marine ecosystems as a whole.
Pelagic sharks
A Shortfin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) off the coast of California, United States.
Key Facts
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Length
up to 12m
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Weight
up to 12,000 kg
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Speed
can reach 30-40 mph
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Leaping
can leap up to 9m above the surface
Fast, efficient predators under threat
Many pelagic sharks are the top predators in their range, and have few natural predators when fully grown. Pelagic sharks are carnivorous and eat fish, including other sharks on occasion, turtles, seals and penguins.
The 3 largest species of pelagic shark – the whale shark, the basking shark and the megamouth shark are all filter feeders and eat mainly plankton.
Reproduction
Most pelagic sharks are viviparous - the eggs are fertilized inside the female's body, and live 'pups' are hatched. Reproduction rates are very low, with as few as 2-3 pups born every 13 months or so in some species. Pelagic sharks are slow to reach maturity, often taking as long as 10 years or more.
Threatened Pelagic shark species:
The 3 largest species of pelagic shark – the whale shark, the basking shark and the megamouth shark are all filter feeders and eat mainly plankton.
Reproduction
Most pelagic sharks are viviparous - the eggs are fertilized inside the female's body, and live 'pups' are hatched. Reproduction rates are very low, with as few as 2-3 pups born every 13 months or so in some species. Pelagic sharks are slow to reach maturity, often taking as long as 10 years or more.
Threatened Pelagic shark species:
- Great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias)
- Blue shark (Prionace glauca)
- Longfin mako (Isurus paucus)
- Shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus)
- Basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
- Whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
- Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)
- Megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios)
- Porbeagle (Lamna nasus)
- Thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus)
Whale shark (Rhincodon typus).
Priority Species
Pelagic sharks are a WWF priority species. WWF treats priority species as one of the most ecologically, economically and/or culturally important species on our planet. And so we are working to ensure such species can live and thrive in their natural habitats.
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What are the main threats to pelagic sharks?
Overfishing and bycatch
Because sharks do not reproduce as fast as other fish, their numbers can easily be reduced by overfishing. Pelagic sharks are caught in longline pelagic fisheries for tuna and swordfish.
There is insufficient data on many of the species of pelagic sharks caught as bycatch, as they are often discarded by fisheries.
High demand for shark fin soup
Pelagic shark populations are also threatened by demand for shark fin soup, where the fin is removed and the remainder of the body again discarded.
It is estimated that over 100 million sharks are killed annually, with around 10 million of those being blue sharks killed for their fins only.
Sport fishing
Species such as the great white shark, which has been unfairly demonised, is often caught by sport fishers and its teeth and jaws are sold as trophies or curios.
Habitat loss
Some pelagic sharks species are losing important feeing and breeding habitats to development, pollution and overfishing.
Because sharks do not reproduce as fast as other fish, their numbers can easily be reduced by overfishing. Pelagic sharks are caught in longline pelagic fisheries for tuna and swordfish.
There is insufficient data on many of the species of pelagic sharks caught as bycatch, as they are often discarded by fisheries.
High demand for shark fin soup
Pelagic shark populations are also threatened by demand for shark fin soup, where the fin is removed and the remainder of the body again discarded.
It is estimated that over 100 million sharks are killed annually, with around 10 million of those being blue sharks killed for their fins only.
Sport fishing
Species such as the great white shark, which has been unfairly demonised, is often caught by sport fishers and its teeth and jaws are sold as trophies or curios.
Habitat loss
Some pelagic sharks species are losing important feeing and breeding habitats to development, pollution and overfishing.
Thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) caught in gill net, Gulf of California, Mexico.
Specialised shop selling sharks' fins, Beijing, China.
What is WWF doing?
WWF promotes smart fishing to reduce bycatch and the unnecessary annual loss of millions of fish. It argues for fishing bans in areas where stocks have been seriously depleted, or in areas which are nursing grounds for significant species. It also holds an annual Smart Gear Competition designed to encourage the introduction of efficient and innovative fishing gear.
In many areas, the economic value of shark meat and products is less than could be earned from a living shark ecotourism enterprise. WWF works with local communities to develop ecotourism projects centred around pelagic sharks including whale sharks.
At the 2010 meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), WWF lobbied hard to have 6 shark species added to CITES Appendix II. The porbeagle (a pelagic shark) was successfully added to the list, unfortunatley the other 5 were not listed. Read more.
Some WWF projects that support this work:
WWF Philippines Donsol Research Coordinator Elson Aca writing down details of a whale shark (Rhincodon typus) satellite tag into his slate.
Make a donation
How you can help
- Buy seafood that has been sustainably caught. You can tell because it will have a certification label on the packaging such as the Marine Stewardship Council certification.
- Adopt a great white shark from the WWF-US Online Gift Center.
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