Species: Carcharhinus signatus, Night Shark

Carcharhinus signatus (Poey, 1868)

Night Shark

Body fusiform and slender; snout long, (length > mouth width, 1.7-1.9 in the distance between nostrils), narrow, pointed; eyes round, large, nictitating eyelid present; nasal flap short with narrow base; mouth small; very short labial folds; upper teeth with oblique point, front edge smooth or with finely serrated base, rear edge notched, with 2-5 strong serrae at base; lower teeth with a narrow upright point; spiracles absent; gill slits short, last two over pectoral fin base; first dorsal low, with long rear tip, front edge weakly convex, rear margin concave, origin over or behind free rear tip of pectoral; second dorsal very low, elongate rear tip, origin over anal fin origin; low ridge present between dorsal fins; pectoral fins small, narrow; 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.

Greyish blue above, greyish white below; eyes green; inside mouth white; fins unmarked.

Size: 280 cm.

Coastal and semioceanic.

Depth: 0-600 m, usually 50-100 m.

E & W Atlantic, with unconfirmed reports off the E Pacific; Delaware to Brazil.