Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
| Atlantic Sharpnose Shark | ||||||||||||
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Atlantic Sharpnose Shark ( Rhizoprionodon terraenovae ) |
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| Rhizoprionodon terraenovae | ||||||||||||
| ( Richardson , 1836) |
The Atlantic sharp-nosed shark ( Rhizoprionodon terraenovae ) is a species of the sharp-nosed sharks ( Rhizoprionodon ) within the Requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae). The species is found in the temperate to tropical waters of the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean and South America.
Appearance and characteristics
The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark is a medium-sized shark with an average body length of around 80 cm and a maximum length of over 110 centimeters. It resembles the Caribbean sharp-nosed shark ( R. porosus ) and like this has a brown to gray-brown body color, which is interspersed with lighter spots in larger individuals, and a white abdominal region without pattern. The edges of the pectoral fins are lighter in color, the tips of the dorsal fins are dark gray. The muzzle is long and the mouth is broadly parabolic when viewed from below, the eyes are large and are located relatively high up on the head.
It has an anal fin and two dorsal fins . The first dorsal fin is significantly larger than the second and lies slightly in front of or over the free ends of the pectoral fins, while the second arises just after the anal fin. The anal fin is slightly larger than the second dorsal fin. The caudal fin has a relatively short lower and long upper lobe with a distinct end lobe. Like all species of the genus, the animals have five gill slits and no injection hole , the 4th and 5th gill slits are above the pectoral fin attachment.
Way of life
The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark is a shallow water species. It predatory feeds mainly on various fish , crustaceans , snails and octopuses . Like the related species, the sharks are viviparous and form a yolk sac placenta ( placental viviparous ). The one to seven young animals are born after a gestation period of about 10 to 11 months with a length of about 29 to 37 cm; the time of birth is in late spring to summer. The males are sexually mature with a body length of about 65 to 80 cm and the females at about 85 to 90 cm.
distribution
The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark is found in the temperate to tropical coastal waters of the western Atlantic on the coast of North America, the Caribbean and Central America. It can also be found in bays, docks and estuaries with brackish water.
Its habitat is in the area of the coastal continental shelf, preferably on sandy beaches (surfing beaches) at a water depth of about 10 meters, but it can also be found at depths of up to 280 meters.
literature
- Leonard Compagno , Marc Dando, Sarah Fowler: Sharks of the World. Princeton Field Guides, Princeton University Press , Princeton and Oxford 2005; Pp. 320-321, ISBN 978-0-691-12072-0 .
Web links
- Atlantic Sharpnose Shark on Fishbase.org (English)