Salmon Shark: Types, Pictures, & Fun Facts

Salmon Shark: All You Need To Know

The Salmon shark (Lamna ditropis) is a carnivorous fish that belongs to the Animalia family, phylum Chordata, class Chondrichthyes, order Lamniformes, and family Lamnidae. Its genus is Lamna.

The salmon shark can grow up to 6 to 10 feet and weigh up to 210 to 660 pounds, with a lifespan of up to 20 to 27 years. Salmon sharks are saltwater fish that feed on other fish.

Salmon sharks are preyed upon by other sharks, and humans. Their most distinguishing characteristics are their short snouts and two keels. Physical characteristics include grey and white colours, with plate-like scales on the skin.

Because its look is nearly identical to that of the porbeagle species, the salmon shark is frequently referred to as the “Pacific Porbeagle.” The salmon shark is sometimes mistaken for a great white shark, earning the moniker “little great white” as a result of their similar appearances.

These sharks are not targeted for commercial fishing, although they are commonly taken as bycatch and occasionally caught by recreational anglers. Salmon sharks are migratory and can swim extremely quickly.

5 Incredible Salmon Shark Facts!

1. Pups are the young sharks.

2. Salmon sharks are a mackerel shark species.

3. These sharks have an endothermic metabolism.

4. Salmon sharks have ovoviviparous reproduction.

5. These sharks’ embryos eat unfertilized eggs in the mother’s womb.

Salmon Shark Classification and Scientific Name

Lamna ditropis is the scientific name for this shark. They’re also known as pacific porbeagles or little great whites. Salmon sharks belong to the Lamnidae family, which also includes mackerel sharks.

They are members of the Chondrichthyes family of cartilaginous fishes, which contains over 1,000 different species of sharks, skates, and rays. Lamna ditropis is a name with a Greek origin. Lamna refers to a shark, whereas di signifies two and tropis refers to a keel.

Salmon Shark vs Porbeagle

These sharks and porbeagles have a striking resemblance. A comparison of these two species, on the other hand, reveals the distinctions that set them apart. Despite their uncanny resemblance in appearance, there are a few differences between the two.

The most significant difference between these two species is their environment. The North Pacific is home to salmon sharks, whereas the North Atlantic is home to the Porbeagle.

Another feature that distinguishes the species is their conservation status. Salmon sharks, on the other hand, are not a vulnerable species and are classified as least concern.

Various Salmon Shark Species

The number of these sharks in the wild now is impossible to estimate. In 1989, the number ranged from 16,600,000 to 21,900,000, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Due to fishing that did not continue until the 1990s, a significant number of these sharks disappeared in the 1950s and 1960s. The population stayed constant between 1985 and 1995, as well as in the 2000s. On the IUCN red list, salmon sharks are classified as “Least Concern.”

Salmon Shark Appearance

The dorsal (top side) colour of these sharks ranges from dark grey to black. White with black markings on the ventral (underside). They have two dorsal fins and a tail fin that is crescent-shaped. Dermal denticles, or placoid scales, make up their skin.

Salmon sharks have a blunt snout and keen teeth. They breathe through huge openings in their gills. These sharks are typically 6-10 feet long and weigh between 210 to 485 pounds, while they have been documented as weighing as much as 660 pounds.

Female salmon sharks are often longer and heavier than males. These sharks are endothermic, which means they can control their body temperature to adjust to changing water depths and temperatures.

They like chilly temperate waters with a temperature of roughly 34 degrees Fahrenheit. They can, however, preserve their bodies at greater temperatures than the water around them because of their unusual survival adaption.

Salmon Shark Distribution, Population, and Habitat

These sharks are found in saltwater environments in the ocean. The oceanic, pelagic, and subtropical areas are where they may be found.

They are found in the Pacific Ocean, the Nearctic, and the Palearctic regions. They are found in the oceans off the coasts of Canada, the United States, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia. They may be found in depths ranging from 0 to 1,864 metres.

Salmon Shark Predators and Prey

Carnivores, these sharks are. These apex predators consume a wide range of fish and typically follow the migration routes of the species they target. These sharks have few natural predators due to their size.

Adult humans are the sole known predator. Larger sharks may feed on young sharks. Salmon is their primary prey, as the name implies.

Cod, herring, sablefish, squid, steelhead trout, spiny dogfish, pollock, and other fish are among their favourite foods. These sharks will also attack and consume sea otters and some birds if given the chance.

Salmon Shark Reproduction and Lifespan

These sharks move south to mate in the late summer and early fall. Male sharks will mate with a large number of female sharks. The male will grab the female and push his clasper into her cloaca in order to procreate.

These sharks are ovoviviparous, which means that the foetuses grow inside eggs inside the mother shark’s body. When the embryo’s growth is complete, the mother gives birth to live baby sharks known as pups.

The gestation period is around nine months long, similar to that of humans. They will return to their original environment in the spring and produce two to five pups. When the puppies are born, they are about 40 and 50 centimetres long.

The mother shark looks after the baby sharks. Male sharks attain sexual maturity between the ages of three and five, whereas female sharks reach sexual maturity between the ages of eight and ten.

The average lifetime of female salmon sharks is somewhat less than that of males. Males may live up to 27 years and females can live up to 20.

Salmon Shark in Fishing and Cooking

These sharks are not targeted by commercial fisheries, although they are a common bycatch. Commercial fisherman consider them pests because they can destroy their equipment and devour significant quantities of the salmon they are chasing.

Recreational fishers occasionally go after salmon sharks. A circular hook, a long wire leader, a hefty pound test line, and a strong reel, according to the fishermen, are required to land a salmon shark.

Salmon sharks are eaten by some humans in Alaska, China, and Japan. People that eat this fish claim it has a similar flavour to swordfish. Their fins are occasionally utilised in shark fin soup, a classic Chinese cuisine.

Their hearts are suitable for sushi in Japan. Shark meat may be marinated and grilled to make steaks. Some people may ask if this shark may be kept as a pet in a home aquarium.

These apex predators would not make excellent pets, to be honest. They’d need a large aquarium tank, as well as other particular requirements. Some smaller shark species might be more suited to being kept as pets and may thrive in an aquarium.