Name: Sandbar shark, Atlantic grey shark, large finned shark
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827)
Family: Carcharhinidae
Group: Sharks, rays and chimaeras
Class: Fish
Size: 201-400 cm.
The sandbar shark is easily identified by its first dorsal fin, which is triangular in shape and unusually large. It is a coastal fish that prefers shallow waters although it occurs in depths of up to 280 m. It ceaselessly patrols the bottoms of bays, inlets and river-mouths. This species has been targeted by intensive fishing in recent years and is particularly vulnerable given its slow growth and reproductive rates. In fact, the females only reproduce from the age of 16 years and after a long period of gestation (1 year), they give birth to a reduced number of young (8-12).
Photo by:
www.flmnh.ufl.edu
Global Ocean
