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Temp: Bottom 24°C
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Dive type : Recreational, Georgia Aquarium
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Visibility: Excellent
Water: Salt
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Data provided by EOL.org
Species Identified
Rhincodon typus Smith, 1828 (Whale shark)
These sharks are usually solitary, but loose groups of up to 100 individuals have been sighted, often when they are feeding . Whale sharks appear to be highly migratory , and have been tracked for thousands of kilometres ....
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These sharks are usually solitary, but loose groups of up to 100 individuals have been sighted, often when they are feeding . Whale sharks appear to be highly migratory , and have been tracked for thousands of kilometres . Individuals who regularly visit the Ningaloo Reef in Australia, between March and May every year, appear to be mainly immature males . It is not clear whether movements across deep ocean basins follow prey routes or are undertaken for other reasons. Very little is known about the reproduction of the world's largest fish, but in 1995, one pregnant female was captured who contained nearly 300 foetuses . The species is ovoviviparous; the young hatch from eggs retained within the mother so that she then gives birth to live young. Whale sharks are fairly docile creatures and feed on planktonic organisms and small fish by suction filter-feeding . This species is thought to be a more dynamic filter-feeder than, for example, the basking shark, actively sucking food in through their vast mouths and passing the water over the gill arches, where prey are retained and then swallowed . They have also been observed actively swimming through shoals of fish with their mouth agape or hanging vertically in the water and drawing food into their mouths .
Manta birostris (Walbaum, 1792) (Giant manta)
Manta rays are generally solitary, although loose aggregations of individuals may occur where there are abundant food sources or during the breeding season. When ready to mate, a male will bite his mate's pectoral fin to p...
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Manta rays are generally solitary, although loose aggregations of individuals may occur where there are abundant food sources or during the breeding season. When ready to mate, a male will bite his mate's pectoral fin to position himself belly-belly for copulation . The developing eggs remain inside the female's body for possibly as long as 12 months and hatch internally so that she gives birth to live young . The average litter size is two pups, and there is often a two year gap between births . These rays feed on planktonic organisms by filtering volumes of water through their mouths. Individuals have been observed swimming in slow vertical loops whilst feeding, possibly in an effort to concentrate prey items . The fleshy projections on either side of the mouth are also used to funnel prey; when not feeding, these lobes are either furled or closed in front of the mouth . Mantas are often host to remoras (Remorina spp.), which attach to the underside of the larger fish and consume particles of food that fall from the mouth . Exceptionally graceful swimmers, manta rays appear to fly through the water on their large wings. Individuals have also been observed to jump (or 'breach') clear out of the water, possibly in a form of communication or play .
Pristis pectinata Latham, 1794 (smalltooth sawfish)
The sawfish uses its saw to catch prey in two ways; firstly by using it as a rake to sift through the sand for crustaceans such as crabs and shrimps, and secondly by using it as a sword to swipe through schools of shoaling...
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The sawfish uses its saw to catch prey in two ways; firstly by using it as a rake to sift through the sand for crustaceans such as crabs and shrimps, and secondly by using it as a sword to swipe through schools of shoaling fish such as mullet, lacerating or stunning individuals. The smalltooth sawfish is predated on by sharks, but only when it is young and undersized . Little is known about the life cycle of the smalltooth sawfish but it is thought to breed year round in areas of constant climate, but elsewhere, only in the summer. Fertilisation is internal and the pups develop inside the female, who gives birth a year later to 15 to 20 pups. The saws of the newborns are sheathed and malleable at birth for protection. The pups are around 60 cm long at birth .
Carangoides orthogrammus (Jordan and Gilbert, 1882) (Island trevally)
Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy and Gaimard, 1824) (blacktip reef shark)
This powerful swimmer is well known for its tendency to enter incredibly shallow water, and is often found in water only 30 centimetres deep or less, with its distinctive dorsal fin protruding from the surface of the water...
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This powerful swimmer is well known for its tendency to enter incredibly shallow water, and is often found in water only 30 centimetres deep or less, with its distinctive dorsal fin protruding from the surface of the water. It is also found near the bottom or in mid-water in deeper water, singly or in small groups . It feeds on a wide variety of small fish and invertebrates, including mullet, groupers, wrasses, cuttlefish, squid, shrimp . Blacktip reef sharks are viviparous, and therefore the embryos develop inside the mother, for about 16 months. Females generally give birth between late winter and early summer, to between two and four pups . However, reproductive cycles appear to vary throughout the blacktip reef shark's range, with reports of annual, biannual and biennial reproductive cycles . The blacktip reef shark is not an extremely dangerous species, although it is responsible for several provoked and unprovoked attacks on humans. Many are on people that are swimming or wading on reefs, presumably because they were mistaken for small prey. These sharks are more cautious when encountering divers and can usually be driven off .
Squatina armata (Philippi, 1887) (Angel shark)
Ovoviviparous .
Ovoviviparous .
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Bill
United States
Date: 2013-11-22 - 04:00
Max Depth: 9.1m Duration: 35mins
JUST DO THIS DIVE.
http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/explore-the-aquarium/events-and-programs/swim-with-whale-sharks.aspx