ISAF Statistics on Attacking
Species of Shark
Species of shark implicated in attacks around the world, 1580 - May
1998.
| Species |
Common
Name |
Unprovoked
Attack |
Provoked
Attack |
Air-Sea
Disaster |
Boat
Attack |
No
Assignment |
Total |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Carcharodon carcharias, |
White |
231 |
4 |
0 |
52 |
24 |
311 |
| Galeocerdo cuvier, |
Tiger |
67 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
25 |
104 |
| Carcharhinus leucas, |
Bull |
57 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
69 |
| Carcharias taurus, |
Sand tiger |
31 |
14 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
53 |
| Carcharhinus spp., |
Requiem |
28 |
11 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
42 |
| Carcharhinus limbatus, |
Blacktip |
20 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
| Sphyrna spp., |
Hammerhead |
17 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
4 |
31 |
| Prionace glauca, |
Blue |
14 |
10 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
30 |
| Carcharhinus melanopterus, |
Blacktip reef |
13 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
| Isurus oxyrinchus, |
Shortfin mako |
12 |
10 |
0 |
15 |
1 |
38 |
| Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, |
Grey reef |
9 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
| Carcharhinus brachyurus, |
Bronze whaler |
9 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
| Negaprion brevirostris, |
Lemon |
9 |
7 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
21 |
| Carcharhinus perezi, |
Caribbean reef |
7 |
9 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
16 |
| Carcharhinus brevipinna, |
Spinner |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
| Carcharhinus plumbeus, |
Sandbar |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
| Ginglymostoma cirratum, |
Nurse |
5 |
16 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
23 |
| Carcharhinus longimanus, |
Oceanic whitetip |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
| Orectolobus barbatus, |
Wobbegong |
4 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
23 |
| Carcharhinus obscurus, |
Dusky |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
| Triakis semifasciata, |
Leopard |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
| Carcharhinus falciformis, |
Silky |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
| Notorhynchus cepedianus, |
Sevengill |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
| Carcharhinus galapagensis, |
Galapagos |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Carcharhinus gangeticus, |
Ganges |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Galeorhinus galeus |
Tope |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Isistius brasiliensis, |
Cookiecutter |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Isurus spp., |
Mako |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Lamna nasus, |
Porbeagle |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
| Sphyrna lewini, |
Scalloped
hammerhead |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
| Squalus acanthias, |
Spiny dogfish |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Triaenodon obesus, |
Whitetip reef |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Alopias spp., |
Thresher |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
| Carcharhinus albimarginatus, |
Silvertip |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Carcharhinus altimus, |
Bignose |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Carcharias ferox, |
Bigeye sand
tiger |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
| Cetorhinus maximus, |
Basking |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| Heterodontus francisci, |
Horn |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Hexanchus griseus, |
Sixgill |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Rhincodon typus, |
Whale |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Somniosus microcephalus, |
Greenland |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| Sphyrna zygaena, |
Smooth
hammerhead |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| TOTALS |
42 species |
566 |
125 |
6 |
105 |
80 |
882 |
Positive identification of attacking sharks is very difficult since
victims rarely make adequate observations of the attacker during the
"heat" of the interaction. Tooth remains are seldom found, and diagnostic
characters for many carcharhinid sharks are difficult to discern even by
trained professionals. Realistically, almost any shark in the right size
range, six feet (1.8 meters) or greater, is a potential threat to humans.
.
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