Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)
Etymology: Carcharhinus: Greek, karcharos = sharpen + Greek, rhinos = nose (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; benthopelagic; depth range 0 - 600 m (Ref. 244), usually 50 - 100 m (Ref. 244). Subtropical; 11°C - 16°C (Ref. 244); 39°N - 43°S, 85°W - 15°E (Ref. 55190)

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 150 - 205 cm
Max length : 280 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 244); common length : 200 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26999); max. published weight: 76.7 kg (Ref. 40637)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. A slim shark with a very long, pointed snout, large eyes, and small jaws with oblique-cusped serrated upper teeth; dorsal fins low with elongated rear tips; interdorsal ridge present (Ref. 5578). Grey-brown above, white below; no conspicuous fin markings (Ref. 5578).

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Atlantic: Delaware to Florida (USA), Bahamas, and Cuba; southern Brazil, Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana to Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, off northern Namibia (Ref. 5578).

Coastal and semi-oceanic species found on or along outer continental and insular shelves (Ref. 244). Found to depths of 40 m (Ref. 26938). Forms schools (Ref. 244). Nocturnal (Ref. 5578), and feeding mainly on small bony fishes and squid (Ref. 244). Viviparous (Ref. 50449). Off West Africa, recorded water parameters at 90 to 285 m, where it was caught includes: temperature = 11 to 16°C; salinity = 36 ppt; oxygen = 1.81 ml/l (Ref. 244). Not known to be dangerous to people (Ref. 244).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Compagno, Leonard J.V. | Collaborators

Compagno, L.J.V., 1984. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

Vulnerable (VU) (A2abd+3bd+4abd)

Threat to humans

Harmless (Ref. 244)

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial

FAO(fisheries: species profile; publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00536 (-0.09740 - 0.10811), b=3.04 (2.98 - 3.11), based on LWR estimates for species & genus-BS (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.5 ±0.4 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (tm=8-10; Fec=4; Tmax=17; K=0.12).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High to very high vulnerability (73 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Carcharhinus signatus (Poey, 1868)