Caribbean sharpnose shark

Caribbean sharpnose shark
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Elasmobranchii
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Family:	Carcharhinidae
Genus:	Rhizoprionodon
Species:	R. porosus
Binomial name
Rhizoprionodon porosus (Poey, 1861)

The Caribbean sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon porosus, is a requiem shark of the family Carcharhinidae, found in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean between latitudes 28° N and 40° S, from the surface to 500 m. Its length is up to about 1.1 m.

The Caribbean sharpnose shark is common in bays and estuaries, often entering rivers, and is also found in offshore waters at depths of about 500 m, generally less than 100 m. It feeds mainly on small bony fishes, including wrasses, but also marine snails, squid and shrimp. It is viviparous, with 2 to 6 young in a litter, and size at birth about 31 to 39 cm. Its flesh is utilized salted or frozen for human consumption and processed into fishmeal. It is not considered dangerous.

References

• Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Rhizoprionodon porosus". FishBase. May 2006 version.