The Brazilian sharpnose shark is a requiem shark found in the Atlantic Ocean.
Brazilian Sharpnose Shark Scientific Classification |
|
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Chondrichthyes |
| Order | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family | Carcharhinidae |
| Genus | Rhizoprionodon |
| Scientific Name | R. lalandii |
Description
This shark is about 2.5 ft long.
Where do they live
Their range appears to be in the western Atlantic from Panama to southern Brazil and Uruguay. Countries where this shark has been seen, include Aruba, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
Its depth range is between 9.8 and 230 ft, where they inhabit shallow coastal waters on sandy and muddy bottoms.
Behavior
Feeding
Brazil sharpnose sharks feed on shrimp, squid, and teleost fish. Research indicates that the shark swims to the demersal and pelagic zones to feed.
Reproductive
These sharks are viviparous, giving live birth to a litter of 1-4 pups. At birth, the baby sharks are about 13 inches.
Sexual maturity is observed in females when they are 1.73-2.16 ft long and in males when they are 1.67-1.9 ft long. These sharks live for about six years in tropical areas and eight years in subtropical areas.
Interactions with humans
Brazil sharpnose sharks are often sold dried and salted. In Colombia and Venezuela, this shark’s meat is quite popular and is used in a lot of traditional dishes.
Due to these sharks being at risk of overfishing in their home range, the IUCN lists them as “Vulnerable” or “VU”.
