Caribbean sharpnose shark

Caribbean sharpnose shark
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	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, and part of the family Carcharhinidae.

It is found in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, between latitudes 28° N and 40° S, from the surface to a depth of 500 m.

The maximum reported size for the Caribbean sharpnose shark is 110 cm (43 in). The average adult size appears to be about 80–89 cm (31.5–35 in). Both sexes seem to reach maturity at about 65–70 cm (25.5–27.5 in) in length, and just over 2 years old. The life span is estimated to be about 8–10 years old.

The species was once confused as being the same species as the Atlantic sharpnose shark - however difference in vertebra counts indicate that it is a separate species.

Reproduction and litter size is similar to those of the Atlantic sharpnose shark.

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  Jaws
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  Upper teeth
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  Lower teeth

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rhizoprionodon porosus.

• Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Rhizoprionodon porosus". FishBase. May 2006 version.
• http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/CSharpnose/CSharpnose.html