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Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
Atlantic Sharpnose SharkKingdom: Animalia
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Description & Behavior
Sharks congregate in places where there are large numbers of smaller fish that they can feed on. There are three major areas frequented by sharks. The areas are: close inshore and in estuaries, coastal areas near islands and structures, and offshore in the open ocean.
The close inshore shark species, such as bull sharks, sand sharks and varieties of hammerheads can be caught off fishing piers or in the waters of bays or the mouths of coastal rivers. These sharks hang out close to shore to feed on mullet and other shoaling fish that concentrate there. Although many of these sharks are small, it’s not uncommon to catch really big ones close to land. Serious inshore shark fishermen fish the piers and jetties at night, “chumming” the water by dumping in buckets of cut-up fish or other bloody meat to attract sharks.
The second category of shark fishing locations is the coastal area. This usually means areas that are accessible to fishermen with boats, and can be any area off of a coast that has some natural or man-made structure to attract fish, and consequently, the sharks that feed on them. Barrier islands are one such area, and the passes between closely-spaced barrier islands can be especially good on an incoming tide. Other areas in this category are underwater coral reefs, which support a vibrant ecosystem of animals at every stage of the food chain and sharks at the top end. In the Gulf of Mexico and other areas, man-made structures such as offshore oil drilling rigs are very productive locations to fish for big sharks.
The open ocean is home to pelagic sharks, like the mako and whitetip. Many of these sharks spend their entire lives far from land, roaming the open oceans in search of food. They might be the hardest sharks for offshore fishermen to locate, but can sometimes be found in large numbers amoung schooling prey species.
The Atlantic sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae , is a small, gray, streamlined shark, with characteristic long, pointed snout. Males reach at least 1 m in length, females may be slightly larger at 1.1 m. The average weight is 7.25 kg. The edge of the anal fin is either straight or slightly concave. The the second dorsal fin is located behind the anal fin. Atlantic sharpnose sharks live up to 10 years in age.
World Range & Habitat
The Atlantic sharpnose shark is found in the western Atlantic from New Brunswick, Canada south to the Gulf of Mexico, and in the southwest Atlantic along the coasts of Brazil in waters ranging from 10-280 m deep at 47°N-33°S. These sharks prefer subtropical waters near the continental shelves from the intertidal zone out to deeper waters. They are often found near the surf zone of sandy beaches and in enclosed bays, sounds, harbors, estuaries, and river mouths. This shark is able to tolerate lower salinity levels but, they do not venture into freshwater like the bull shark.
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
The Atlantic sharpnose shark feeds on small bony fishes, shrimps, crabs, segmented worms, and mollusks.
Life History
The Atlantic sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, gives birth to 1-7 juveniles that measure about 29-37 cm when they are born.
