The silky shark is a species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae,
named for the smooth texture of its skin. It is one of the most
abundant sharks in the pelagic zone, and can be found in tropical
waters worldwide. Highly mobile and migratory, this shark is most often
found over the edge of the continental shelf to a depth of 50 m
(160 ft). The silky shark has a slender, streamlined body and typically
grows to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long. A swift, inquisitive and persistent
hunter, it feeds mainly on bony fishes and cephalopods, and has been
known to drive them into compacted schools before launching
open-mouthed, slashing attacks. This species often trails schools of
tuna, a favored prey. The silky shark has an extremely acute sense of
hearing, allowing it to localize the low-frequency sound generated by
other feeding animals, and by extension, sources of food. Due to their
abundance, they form a major component of commercial and artisanal
shark fisheries in many countries. Data now suggest that silky shark
numbers are declining around the world, which prompted the
International Union for Conservation of Nature to reassess its
conservation status from Least Concern to Near Threatened in 2007.
Read the rest of this article:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silky_shark>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1521:
After an extended siege, forces led by Spanish Conquistador Hernán
Cortés captured Tlatoani Cuauhtémoc and conquered the Aztec capital of
Tenochtitlan.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenochtitlan>
1704:
The combined forces of England, the Holy Roman Empire, and the United
Provinces defeated France and Bavaria in the Battle of Blenheim , one
of the turning points of the War of the Spanish Succession.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Blenheim>
1937:
The Battle of Shanghai broke out, eventually becoming one of the
largest and bloodiest battles of the entire Second Sino-Japanese War.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Shanghai>
1960:
The Central African Republic gained its independence from France, with
David Dacko as its first president.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_African_Republic>
2004:
Hurricane Charley struck Florida, just 22 hours after Tropical Storm
Bonnie inflicted its own damage to the U.S. state.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Charley>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
xenodochial (adj):
Friendly to strangers
<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/xenodochial>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The question what to believe is perhaps the most momentous that anyone
can put to himself. Our beliefs are not to be classed among the
luxuries, but among the necessaries of existence.
--Felix Adler
<http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Felix_Adler>
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