Silky Shark Shark Bites

My name's Steve Backshall. Self-confessed shark-obsessed.

This is Shark Bites.

This time, we meet the smoothest shark in the sea - the silky shark.

Earning their name from their super-smooth skin, they're quick,

agile and move through our seas like a silver bullet.

Reaching over three metres, this slender ocean operator

roams the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

If rubbed backwards, the silky skin is rough and sandpaper-like,

but the other way, it's like a streamlined metallic swimsuit.

But why does the silky have such smooth skin?

The deep waters off the coast of Cuba are a great place to find them.

These sharks have so many senses at their disposal and, right now,

all they're going to need is the fact that we're here

to get them to come to us.

Out in the open ocean, silky sharks rely on honed senses to hunt prey.

But they have some extra adaptations on their side.

Extraordinary!

The top of their tail is slightly larger than most sharks',

allowing them extra thrust

when catching fast-moving fish like mullet, mackerel and tuna.

The metallic tone to their skin makes them

look like a Marine torpedo, and this skin is so smooth,

it gives them their competitive edge.

It's their ultimate secret weapon for hunting in the open water.

Like all sharks,

the silky has skin covered in bony scales called dermal denticles.

It's thought these create micro-turbulence in the water,

lubricating the movement of the shark

almost as if it was covered in oil.

It helps to reduce drag and allows them to swim faster.

Open-water, fast-moving sharks like the silky have smaller,

finer denticles than slower-moving sharks.

Because they're more densely packed, the silky's skin looks

and feels smoother than that of other sharks.

It's as if they're wearing a super-efficient swimsuit.

The silky's slick swimsuit means they're a force to be reckoned with.

Hunting speedy schools of fish like tuna is no problem, and they even

travel with them in the open ocean,

so there's a constant supply of fast food.

The silky shark - a slender ocean operator,

able to catch fast-moving prey and has seriously streamlined skin.

It is without doubt a seriously smooth shark.