Silky Shark (Wild Safari Sealife by Safari Ltd.)

The silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) is a species of requiem shark found in tropical and subtropical seas around the world. They inhabit the epipelagic zone near continental shelves and deepwater reefs where they feed on bony fishes, cephalopods, and the occasional crustacean. They are known to be active and inquisitive and are considered potentially dangerous to humans but given their preferred habitat, encounters are rare. They get their name from the silky appearance of their skin.

The only company to produce models of this species is Safari Ltd. First in their pelagic fish TOOB and then as a standard size figure in 2023. Although announced last year this figure was not available in time to cover during Shark Week so it’s the perfect candidate to cover this year as the final figure of our 5^th annual Shark Week on the Animal Toy Blog.

The Safari silky shark measures 5.75” (14.605 cm) in total length. The actual silky shark reaches a maximum length of 11’ (3.5 meters) but they average closer to 8’ (2.4 meters). That puts the figure at 1/16 to 1/22 in scale. The figure is presented in a static pose with a slight leftward bend in the tail. The overall build is correctly long and sleek.

The Safari silky shark has an accurately long, flat, and rounded snout with large yellow eyes and elliptical pupils, and faint flaps of skin along the nostrils. The first dorsal fin originates behind the free rear tips of the pectoral fins, which is important in identifying the species.

The first dorsal fin is short and rounded with a curved rear margin and the second dorsal fin is longer than it is tall, in an attempt to illustrate the long free rear tip of the fin. There is no actual free tip (the portion not attached to the body) but I wouldn’t really expect there to be on a toy like this. The anal fin is larger than the second dorsal with a deep notch and originates just ahead of the second dorsal. These are all important features when depicting the silky shark.

So far so good! Five gill slits are present on either side of the head and the lack of claspers on the pelvic fins indicates that the figure represents a female shark. Although it is faint it appears that there was an attempt to sculpt a low inter-dorsal ridge along the flanks. The only real anatomical issue with the figure seems to be the pectoral fins, which in life are long and narrow and appear a touch too short here.

The figure is painted metallic gray, with a gradient of dark to light as you move from back to belly. In life the silky shark has a faint band along the flanks and although it appears almost nonexistent on the figure it is indeed evident upon closer scrutiny. In life, the silky shark has dusky tips on all but the first dorsal fin and there is no attempt to illustrate that here. Perhaps the sculptor referenced a dead juvenile specimen since colors fade in death and juveniles have proportionally shorter pectoral fins.

The Safari silky shark is an essential addition to any shark collection and a much welcome one at that. I never thought I would see a model of this species and was surprised when I found out a TOOB one existed. The silky shark might seem like a somewhat generic and boring shark, but the species is one of the most common pelagic shark species despite its obscurity. This figure is currently available and retails for about $6.99.