Latin name

Carcharhinus Plumbeus

Other names

Brown shark

Identification

A relatively heavy fish, it has a dark bluish-gray or brownish-gray color and a pale or white belly. There is a distinct ridge between the first and second dorsal fins on the back, and the first fin is large and pointed, beginning above the middle of the pectoral fin. The snout is shorter than the width of the mouth and appears rounded from below.

Distribution

Very common along the coast of the Mid-Atlantic states, on sandbanks, inhabit the western Atlantic from southern Massachusetts to southern Brazil. In the eastern Pacific, they are found around the Hawaiian, Galápagos, and Revillagiged Islands.

Habitat

Sandbar and dusky (Carcharhinus obscurus) sharks are coastal migrants that have been particularly hard hit by both their fin and meat fisheries.

Size

Sandbar shark, usually grows to 5-7 feet in length. Dusky is almost indistinguishable from Sandbar, but grows to more than 700 pounds, while Sandbar never exceeds 200 pounds.

Life history and Behavior

Sand sharks are commonly called browns by anglers on the east coast of the United States, where they usually migrate to large bays to spawn.

Food and feeding habits

No information

Reproduction

No information