Species: Rhizoprionodon longurio, Pacific sharpnose Shark
eye large
D2 origin over rear 1/3 A base
pectoral small, triangular
Rhizoprionodon longurio (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)
Pacific Sharpnose Shark
Body slender; long pointed snout (as long as width of mouth); large round eyes; small, widely spaced nostrils; a long, prominent furrow over rear of top lip; no spiracle; large round eyes; front teeth on both jaws with narrow, oblique points, serrated in adults; five gill slits, last two over pectoral; two small dorsal fins, first much larger, with origin ~ over/slightly before pectoral free rear tip; second dorsal origin over last 1/3 of base of anal fin, fin slightly smaller than anal fin; no or rudimentary ridge between dorsals; pectorals small, broad, triangular; each anal fin with a long, conspicuous ridge before it; tail base with a crescentic transverse pit on top, another pit under bottom; tail fin strongly asymmetrical, with large lower lobe, top lobe notched under tip.
Grey or grey brown on back and sides, white below; rear edge and upper tip of tail fin broadly black.
Maximum size to at least 122 cm, possibly 154 cm; size at birth 33-34 cm.
A relatively common inshore shark often living in shallow estuarine waters.
Depth: 0-100 m depth.
Southern California to Peru.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Freshwater
- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Mid Water
- Bottom + water column
- Bottom
- Near Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Freshwater
- Mud
- Sand & gravel
- Estuary
- Water column
- Mangrove
- FishBase Habitat
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- Bentho-Pelagic
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Bony fishes
- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Egg Type
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- Live birth
- Data
- No pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
-
- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- Regional Endemism
-
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Island (s)
- All species
- TEP endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- IUCN Red List
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- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
-
- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 122
- Depth Range Min
-
- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 100