Caribbean Sharpnose Shark

The Caribbean sharpnose shark is a species of requiem shark living in the western Atlantic. It is very similar in appearance to the Atlantic sharpnose shark, with only experts able to differentiate the two by looking at their vertebral columns.

Caribbean Sharpnose Shark Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Chondrichthyes
Order Carcharhiniformes
Family Carcharhinidae
Genus Rhizoprionodon
Scientific Name R. porosus

Description

An adult Caribbean sharpnose shark is around 31.5–35 inches long. The largest recorded specimen was about 43 inches long.

It has a long snout with rows of serrated teeth inside its mouth.

Caribbean sharpnose sharks are brown to grey, with white spots on their body. Their fins are white-tipped. Ventrally they are white.

Where do they live

They are found throughout the tropical waters of the Caribbean and the western Atlantic Ocean. The range of this shark is from the surface to a depth of 1640.42 ft.

Behavior

Feeding

Their diet consists of bony fish and invertebrates.

Reproductive

Caribbean sharpnose sharks are viviparous, giving live birth to a litter of 2-6 pups. After gestating for 10-11 months inside their mother, the pups are finally born in spring or early summer.

Sexual maturity is observed at about two years of age when the juveniles are 2.1-2.3 ft long. This shark lives for 8-10 years.

Interactions with humans

The IUCN classifies the Caribbean sharpnose shark as “Vulnerable” or “VU”.

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