0:00:02 > 0:00:05My name's Steve Backshall. Self-confessed shark-obsessed.
0:00:06 > 0:00:08This is Shark Bites.
0:00:10 > 0:00:16This time, we meet the smoothest shark in the sea - the silky shark.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20Earning their name from their super-smooth skin, they're quick,
0:00:20 > 0:00:24agile and move through our seas like a silver bullet.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Reaching over three metres, this slender ocean operator
0:00:28 > 0:00:32roams the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.
0:00:32 > 0:00:37If rubbed backwards, the silky skin is rough and sandpaper-like,
0:00:37 > 0:00:40but the other way, it's like a streamlined metallic swimsuit.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45But why does the silky have such smooth skin?
0:00:45 > 0:00:49The deep waters off the coast of Cuba are a great place to find them.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55These sharks have so many senses at their disposal and, right now,
0:00:55 > 0:00:58all they're going to need is the fact that we're here
0:00:58 > 0:00:59to get them to come to us.
0:01:02 > 0:01:07Out in the open ocean, silky sharks rely on honed senses to hunt prey.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13But they have some extra adaptations on their side.
0:01:13 > 0:01:14Extraordinary!
0:01:14 > 0:01:18The top of their tail is slightly larger than most sharks',
0:01:18 > 0:01:20allowing them extra thrust
0:01:20 > 0:01:24when catching fast-moving fish like mullet, mackerel and tuna.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37The metallic tone to their skin makes them
0:01:37 > 0:01:41look like a Marine torpedo, and this skin is so smooth,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44it gives them their competitive edge.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48It's their ultimate secret weapon for hunting in the open water.
0:01:51 > 0:01:52Like all sharks,
0:01:52 > 0:01:58the silky has skin covered in bony scales called dermal denticles.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01It's thought these create micro-turbulence in the water,
0:02:01 > 0:02:03lubricating the movement of the shark
0:02:03 > 0:02:04almost as if it was covered in oil.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09It helps to reduce drag and allows them to swim faster.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13Open-water, fast-moving sharks like the silky have smaller,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16finer denticles than slower-moving sharks.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20Because they're more densely packed, the silky's skin looks
0:02:20 > 0:02:23and feels smoother than that of other sharks.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26It's as if they're wearing a super-efficient swimsuit.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32The silky's slick swimsuit means they're a force to be reckoned with.
0:02:32 > 0:02:37Hunting speedy schools of fish like tuna is no problem, and they even
0:02:37 > 0:02:38travel with them in the open ocean,
0:02:38 > 0:02:41so there's a constant supply of fast food.
0:02:43 > 0:02:48The silky shark - a slender ocean operator,
0:02:48 > 0:02:53able to catch fast-moving prey and has seriously streamlined skin.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57It is without doubt a seriously smooth shark.