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

_______________________________ 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

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

xenodochial (adj): Friendly to strangers http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/xenodochial

___________________________ 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