1. Guides
  2. MatBio: FISHES - Matanzas Biodiversity
  3. Sandbar Shark

Sandbar Shark

Carcharhinus plumbeus

Summary 6

The sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, is a species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae, native to the Atlantic Ocean and the Indo-Pacific. It is distinguishable by its very high first dorsal fin and inter-dorsal ridge.

Description 7

  Common names: shark (English), tiburón (Espanol)
 
Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo,1827)


Sandbar shark


Body stout; snout round, short (length 0.9-1.3 in distance between nostrils); eyes small; nasal opening small and well separated; nasal flaps low, broadly triangular; upper front teeth broadly triangular, finely serrated, lower front teeth with narrow, straight points; 5 gill slits, last 2 over pectoral fin base; first dorsal very high, triangular, origin over rear of base of pectoral; origin of second dorsal over anal origin;  pectoral long, wide, curved, tip pointed to rounded; prominent crest between dorsal fins; tail fin strongly asymmetrical, with well developed lower lobe, undulating ridge along dorsal surface of top lobe, and a ventral notch near tip of that lobe; notch on top of tail base.

Bronze to grey above, belly whitish.

Size: 250 cm.

Habitat: inshore and offshore, coastal pelagic, demersal over sandy and muddy bottoms, bay mouths, river mouths.

Depth: 0-1800 m.

Circumtropical; there are reports from the Galapagos and the Revillagigedos; however there are no known specimens from our region.
   

Distribution 8

Massachusetts (Woods Hole, straying into Gulf of Maine) to southern Brazil

Morphology 9

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Analspines: 0; Analsoft rays: 0

Size 10

Maximum size: 2500 mm TL

Description 11

Found over sandy and muddy areas of coastal waters, including estuaries. May inhabit oceanic waters. Feeds on benthic animals, fishes, rays, gastropods, and squids (Ref. 5213). Viviparous; litter size 1-14 pups, born during midsummer (Ref. 5485); 56-75 cm at birth (Ref. 2334). Populations are segregated by age. Preferred water tempeatures range from 23 to 27°C. Potentially dangerous but has never been incriminated in any attack on people. Utilized for human consumption, for leather and oil. Marketed fresh, dried-salted and frozen; fins are valued for soup (Ref. 9987).

I dnature guides 12

Identification key for shorefishes of the tropical eastern Pacific

Habitat 13

Habitat Type: Marine

Ecosystem roles 14

According to Stillwell et al. (1993), sharks are an integral part of the flow of energy in marine ecosystems. Sandbar sharks are considered predators rather than prey, but juveniles may be preyed upon by other sharks. Sandbar sharks are a common host for a number of parasitic copepods, including those in the families Pandaridae, Caligidae, Euphoridae, and Eudactylinidae. Other parasites are isopods in the Gnathiidae family and annelids in the Hirudinidae family, which are both typically attached to the gill filaments. Copepods are often found on the body or fins of the sharks.

Commensal/Parasitic Species:

  • Pandaridae
  • Hirudinidae
  • Caligidae
  • Gnathiidae
  • Euphoridae
  • Eudactylinidae
  • Echeneidae

Diet 15

Feeds mainly on bony fishes, also small sharks, cephalopods, and shrimps

Life cycle 16

Viviparous (Ref. 26281), placental (Ref. 50449), 1-14 pups in a litter; 56-75 cm at birth (Ref. 2334); gestation period of 12 months (Ref.58048). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205). Sexual dimorphism is evident in the thicker skin layer of maturing and adult females (Ref. 49562). This thickened skin may serve as protection from the 'bites' the female species receive from the males during precopulation and in the rugged conditions of the rock and coral environment where they live (Ref. 49562). Pups are born from Feb. to April in Northeastern Taiwan (Ref. 37027).

Reproduction 17

Male and female sandbar sharks only interact during mating; otherwise the sexes swim in separate schools. To initiate mating, male sandbar sharks follow and bite the dorsal fins of females until they flip over. Once flipped over, the male inserts one clasper into the cloaca. Sandbar sharks are considered polygynandrous, meaning females will reproduce with multiple males.

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Sandbar sharks mate in the warm months of the year and females only give birth every 2 to 3 years. The gestation period for sandbar sharks ranges between 9 and 12 months and they may give birth to litters ranging from 1 to 14 pups. The gestation period, litter size, and time of the year when pups are born vary depending on geographic location. Males reach sexual maturity at 160 to 165 cm total length or when claspers are fully developed and have reached the proper hardness. Female sharks reach sexual maturity at 165 to 170 cm total length. Sex differentiation research has shown that levels of steroid hormones may be responsible for development of gonads and secondary sex organs. When near birth, females will enter nursery grounds. At birth, pups range in length from 56 to 75 cm, but some sources have found pups as small as 40 cm. Pup size may be related to mother size, environment, and litter size. Sandbar sharks are the slowest growing and latest maturing of all sharks.

Breeding interval: Sandbar sharks breed every 2 to 3 years, usually in the warmer months.

Breeding season: Mating occurs in warm months; months vary due to geographic location.

Range number of offspring: 1 to 14.

Average number of offspring: 5-12.

Range gestation period: 9 to 12 months.

Average time to independence: 0 minutes.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 7.5 - 8.2 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 8.2 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous

There is little information regarding any parental investment of sandbar sharks after birth. However, females invest heavily in protecting the young during their development before birth.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)

Link to Access Genomic Data 18

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=7808&lvl=0

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Stanislav Krejčík, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/77687.jpg
  2. (c) Brian Gratwicke, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://www.flickr.com/photos/19731486@N07/6181894773
  3. (c) John E. Randall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://d1iraxgbwuhpbw.cloudfront.net/images/species/caplu_u2.jpg
  4. (c) John E. Randall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://d1iraxgbwuhpbw.cloudfront.net/images/species/caplu_u0.jpg
  5. (c) FAO, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://d1iraxgbwuhpbw.cloudfront.net/images/species/caplu_u0.gif
  6. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharhinus_plumbeus
  7. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Shorefishes of the tropical eastern Pacific online information system. www.stri.org/sftep, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/26220237
  8. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28471428
  9. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20846407
  10. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishWise Professional, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/24193851
  11. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28495679
  12. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) Discover Life and original sources, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/11585899
  13. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28868639
  14. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18638339
  15. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) WoRMS for SMEBD, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/28476524
  16. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) FishBase, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/20846411
  17. Adapted by matbio from a work by (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/18638334
  18. (c) matbio, all rights reserved

More Info

Range Map

(c) AquaMaps, some rights reserved (CC-BY-NC-SA)

iNat Map

Member of the iNaturalist Network   |   Powered by iNaturalist open source software |   Documentation for developers