At a glance
- IUCN category
- VU · Vulnerable
- Animal group
- Fish
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- Last verified
Conservation overview
The silky shark is a sleek, abundant open-ocean shark named for its smooth-feeling skin. It is assessed as Vulnerable.
It is among the most heavily traded sharks for fins.
Range & habitat
Tropical open oceans worldwide.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Overfishing and the fin trade
- Bycatch around fish-aggregating devices
Why it matters
One of the most common sharks in the global fin trade, the silky shark is a flagship for managing high-seas shark fisheries.
Sources
Sources for Silky Shark
- IUCN Red List — look up Silky Shark (authoritative status)
- FishBase
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called the silky shark?
Its name comes from the smooth, silky texture of its skin, produced by fine dermal denticles, compared with the rougher skin of some other sharks.
Why is the silky shark Vulnerable?
Published assessments cite overfishing and the fin trade and bycatch, especially around fish-aggregating devices used in tuna fisheries. See the IUCN Red List.
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