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Tiger Shark (Hawaiian: Niuhi)
Galeocerdo Cuvier
Length: Up to 18 ft or more, generally under 14 ft
Description: Broadly rounded snout; distinctive curved serrated teeth; strong spotting pattern in young sharks, turning to stripes
Food: Eats wide variety of marine animals, carrion – has been called "garbage can of the sea"
Habitat: From the surface to 1,200 ft; when in coastal waters, tracked sharks swim close to reef drop-offs at depth of 195 to 260 ft
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Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Hawaiian: Mano Kihikihi)
Sphyrna Lewini
Length: Up to 14 ft, generally under 7 ft
Description: Gray with flattened hammer-like head with a central indentation
Food: Eats reef fishes, sharks and rays, cephalopods, crustaceans
Habitat: Adults live off shore and come into shallower waters of Hilo Bay, Kaneohe Bay, Waimea Bay and other areas in Hawaii to pup – juveniles tracked in Kaneohe Bay stay near the bottom in deeper areas
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Smooth Hammerhead Shark (Hawaiian: Mano Kihikihi)
Sphyrna Zygaena
Length: Up to 13 f, generally under 8 ft
Description: Gray with a flattened hammer-like head without median indentation
Food: Eats bony fishes, small sharks and rays, cephalopods, crustaceans.
Habitat: In Hawaii, juveniles have been caught at depth of 108-223 ft
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Galapagos Shark
Carcharhinus Galapagensis
Length: Up to 12 ft (maximum reported in Hawaii, 9.8 ft)
Description: Brownish gray on dorsal surface; white underside; trailing edge of tail is dusky, but not black
Food: Eats bottom fishes and cephalopods
Habitat: Mostly found in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
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Bignose Shark
Carcharhinus Altimus
Length: Up to 9.5 ft, average 6 ft
Description: Gray, large shark with prominent nasal flaps and high interdorsal ridge
Food: Eats deepwater fishes (including sharks and rays), cephalopods
Habitat: From 88 to 1,200 ft
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Blacktip Shark
Carcharhinus Limbatus
Length: Up to 8 ft
Description: Gray with black edges on dorsal and pectoral fins; a pointed snout
Food: Eats octopus, squid, bony fishes, occasionally cephalopods and crustaceans
Description: In Hawaii, caught at depth of 43-210 ft; seen in many areas including Kaneohe Bay and Midway Atoll
Habitat: In Hawaii, caught at depths of 43-210 ft; pups seen from Kaneohe Bay to Midway Atoll
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Gray Reef Shark
Carcharhinus Amblyrhynchos
Length: Up to 8 ft, generally under 6 ft (maximum reported in Hawaii, 6.2 ft)
Description: Gray with a slight white streak on the back edge of the dorsal fin and an easy-to-see black margin on the trailing edge of the tail; no interdorsal ridge
Food: Eats bony fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans
Habitat: Hawaiian records show caught from surface to 900 ft but most abundant at 320 ft; more common in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands; tends to prefer reef areas with rugged terrain and strong currents
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Whitetip Reef Shark (Hawaiian: Mano Lalakea)
Triaenodon Obesus
Length: Up to 7 f, generally under 5 ft
Description: Gray; slightly flat-headed with small white tips on the tops of the first and second dorsal and tail fins
Food: Eats reef fishes, octopuses, crustaceans.
Habitat: At depths of 26-131 ft near coral reefs; seen resting in caves, sometimes for extended periods
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Blacktip Reef Shark (Hawaiian: Mano Pa'ele)
Carcharhinus Melanopterus
Length: Up to 6 ft, generally under 5 ft
Description: Light brown with large black marks on the first dorsal fin and lower tail tips; no interdorsal ridge
Food: Eats small reef fishes and invertebrates
Habitat: Can be seen very close to the coastline and coral reef edge; found from the surface to 100 ft
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Courtesy of State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources (website)
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Hawaii Sharks