Rhizoprionodon porosus
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Taxonomic Hierarchy
Chondrichthyes (Cartilaginous Fishes)
Carcharhiniformes (Ground Sharks)
Carcharhinidae (Requiem Sharks)
Rhizoprionodon
Rhizoprionodon porosus (Caribbean Sharpnose Shark)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (Carpenter, K.E. (ed.) 2002. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
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Synonymy
None / Rhizoprionodon terraenovae (Richardson, 1836), R.
lalandei (Valenciennes, 1841).
Characters
Body slender and fusi form. Eyes large, with internal nictitating lower eyelids pres-
ent. Snout long and depressed, preoral length 1.4 to 1.6 times internarial width, tip narrowly rounded; labial
folds well developed, the upper pair about equal in length to eye diameter and ending well behind eyes.
Teeth strongly oblique, their edges smooth to finely serrated in adults; anteroposterior tooth row counts
11 to 13/12 on each side, total tooth row counts 24 to 27/24. Spiracles absent; gill sl its short, height of third gill
slit about 2.0 to 2.5% of total length; gill arches without papillae. First dorsal fin moderate-sized, height 7.3 to
9.1% of total length; first dorsal fin with a narrowly rounded apex, an origin opposite the pectoral-fin inner mar-
gins, and the midlength of its base slightly closer to the pectoral-fin insertions than the pelvic-fin origins; sec-
ond dorsal fin low and much sm aller than first dorsal fin, height 1.9 to 2.5% of total length; second dorsal fin
with a slightly concave posterior margin, an origin opposite the space between the midpoint of the
anal-fin base and the anal-fin insertion, an attenuated free rear tip, and an inner margin over twice the fin
height; anal fin with a sh allowly concave posterior margin and long paired preanal ridges; pectoral fins
relatively short, broad and not falcate, extending to below midpoint of first dorsal-fin base when adpressed. A
low interdorsal ridge present or absent between dorsal fins; no keels on caudal peduncle. Precaudal verte-
bral centra 66 to 75, usu ally above 66, equal or less in number than caudal centra, total vertebral centra
136 to 159. Colour: back usu ally brown or greyish brown (occasion ally violaceous), app arently without light
spots, underside whitish, posterior margins of pectoral fins white, posterior margins of dorsal and caudal fins
blackish.
Body shape: fusiform / normal.
Distribution
From the Bahamas throughout
the Antilles and from Honduras along the Atlan-
tic coast of America to sou thern Brazil and Uru-
guay (Maldonado). Most abundant in the Antilles
off Cuba, Jamaica, Hispanola, Puerto Rico, the
Virgin Isl ands, and Martinique, and along the
nor theast coast of Brazil, less abundant off Cen-
tral America (Honduras, Panama) and the Ca-
ribbean coast of Colombia and Venezuela.
Habitat Associations
Primarily coastal, tropical, common in bays and estuaries and often enters
the mouths of rivers; may also be found in offshore waters at considerable depths (to 500 m) and occasion ally
in the epipelagic zone. Number of young 1 to 4 per litter. In the Bahamas an ecotouristic dive shark despite its
sm all size. Feeds mainly on sm all fishes; also on gastropods and shrimps. Fished throughout its range. Off
Cuba it is one of the most important species in shark catches. Separate statistics not reported. Caught mainly
with floating longlines; also with bottom trawls
(especi ally shrimp trawls) and trammelnets.
Biology
Maximum total length to about 110 cm, common to 75 cm; size at birth about 31 to 39 cm; males maturing
at about 60 cm, females at about 80 cm.
Common in bays and estuaries often entering rivers. Also found in offshore waters at depths of about 500 m, generally less than 100 m. Feeds mainly on small bony fishes, including wrasses, but also marine snails, squid and shrimp. Viviparous, with 2 to 6 young in a litter. Size at birth about 31 to 39 cm. Utilized salted or frozen for human consumption and processed into fish meal. Not dangerous (Ref. 9710).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: internal (oviduct); bearers (internal live bearers). Distinct pairing with embrace (Ref. 205). Viviparous, placental (Ref. 50449).
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (VU), assessed 2019-06-21. Resilience: Very low (Fec=2; K=0.3-0.42).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Marketed salted or frozen, made into fish meal in
Cuba.
References
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Compagno, L.J.V. (1984) FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 4. Sharks of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of shark species known to date. Part 2 - Carcharhiniformes. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(4/2):251-655. Rome: FAO.
Gómez-Canchong, P., L. Manjarrés M., L.O. Duarte and J. Altamar (2004) Atlas pesquero del area norte del Mar Caribe de Colombia. Universidad del Magadalena, Santa Marta. 230 p.
Motta, F.S., F.P. Caltabellotta, R.C. Namora and O.B.F. Gadig (2014) Length-weight relationships of sharks caught by artisinal fisheries from southeastern Brazil. J. Appl. Ichthyol. 30(1):239-240. DOI: 10.1111/jai.12234
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