Species: Carcharhinus porosus, Atlantic Smalltail Shark, Smalltail Shark

Carcharhinus porosus (Ranzani, 1839)

Smalltail Shark, Atlantic Smalltail Shark

A slender, fusiform shark; snout long and pointed (length 1.2-1.8 in distance between nostrils); eyes round, large; a series of conspicuous pores behind eye; nostrils with narrow-based pointed flap; top lip fold short; top teeth with narrow triangular, notched (both sides) and serrated points, straight in center, oblique at sides, lower teeth with narrow, straight points at front, oblique at rear; no ridge between dorsal fins; first dorsal fin broadly triangular, low, with bluntly pointed tip, origin over/behind rear tip of pectoral fins; origin of second dorsal fin over or slightly behind middle of anal fin; pectoral fins small, slightly curved with narrowly rounded to pointed tips; anal fin with deeply notched rear edge; tail base without keel; tail fin strongly asymmetrical, with well developed lower lobe, undulating ridge along dorsal surface of top lobe, and a notch under tip of that lobe.

Generally grey on back and sides, white on lower parts; fins are unmarked.

Grows to 137 cm.

Habitat: an inshore shark over mud bottoms, often into shallow estuaries.

Depth: 0-36 m.

W Atlantic: from the Gulf of Mexico to southern Brazil.

Note: The Pacific smalltail shark, C. cerdale (Gilbert, 1989), is distinct from C. porosus.