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

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 0 - 92 m (Ref. 244). Subtropical; 45°N - 39°S, 114°W - 0° (Ref. 55192)

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ?, range 239 - ? cm
Max length : 340 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26938); common length : 240 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 183.7 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 25 years (Ref. 31395)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

A brownish shark with yellow overtones but no conspicuous markings. Large second dorsal fin nearly same size as first dorsal (Ref. 26938).

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

Western Atlantic: New Jersey, USA to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean; also in Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 26938). Northeast Atlantic: Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire and probably wide-ranging off West Africa, but this requires confirmation. Eastern Pacific: southern Baja California, Mexico and the Gulf of California to Ecuador.

Occurs on continental and insular shelves, frequenting mangrove fringes, coral keys, docks, sand or coral mud bottoms, saline creeks, enclosed bays or sounds, and river mouths. May enter fresh water. Occasionally moves into the open ocean, near or at the surface, apparently for purposes of migration. May rest motionless on the bottom (Ref. 9710). May occur singly or in small groups. Feeds mainly on fish but also takes crustaceans and mollusks. Viviparous, with 4 to 17 young in a litter. Size at birth 60 to 65 cm. Has been involved in several attacks on people. Meat is utilized for human consumption, hides for leather, fins for shark-fin soup base, liver oil for vitamins, and carcasses for fish meal. Marketed fresh, dried-salted and frozen (Ref. 9987).

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)

Near Threatened (NT)

Threat to humans

Traumatogenic (Ref. 244)

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

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

More information

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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 0.7500 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00654 (-0.14761 - 0.16069), b=3.06 (2.97 - 3.14), based on LWR estimates for species & family-BS (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.4 ±0.8 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.54(?); tm=12.7; tmax=25; Fec = 4-17; rmax = 0.012).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (87 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Medium.

Negaprion brevirostris (Poey, 1868)