Bignose Shark

Up to 9.5 ft, average 6ft

Family	Carcharhinidae
Description	Requiem sharks
Environment	Fresh, Brackish & Marine
Etymology	Greek, karcharos, -ou = cutting, sharp and also a kind of shark + Greek, rhinos = nose
Genus	12
No. of Species	59
Order	Carcharhiniformes
Class	Elasmobranchii
Reproductive Guild	Bearers
Distribution	Global. Gill openings 5, the fifth behind origin of pectoral fin. Small to large sharks with round eyes, internal nictitating eyelids, no nasoral grooves or barbels, usually no spiracles. Teeth usually bladelike with one cusp. Development usually viviparous with young born fully developed. Includes several dangerous species, but most prefer to avoid divers.

From about 90' to 1200 feet. Found near the edge of the continental and insular shelves and uppermost slopes. Rare in shallow waters, bottom associated near shelf breaks and drop-offs; young may occur at 25 m. Feeds on bony fishes, other sharks, stingrays, and cuttlefish. Viviparous. Utilized for fishmeal, liver oil, and shagreen. Minimum depth reported taken from

Gray, large shark with prominent nasal flaps and high inter dorsal ridge. Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 0. A heavily-bodied, cylindrical shark with a large, long and broad snout, long nasal flaps and high, triangular, saw-edged upper teeth; interdorsal ridge high and prominent; pectoral and dorsal fins large and straight. Grayish with no conspicuous markings, white below; inner corners of pectoral fins blackish

Viviparous, placental. Gives birth every second year with 1-13 (average 9)pups per litter (Ref.58048). In the Mediterranean, sharks give birth in August and September, however in Madagascar, young are born in September and October (Ref. 244). Size at birth 60-75 cm; 70-90 cm TL. Distinct pairing with embrace

Summary of Distribution: Circumglobal, with patchy records in tropical and warm seas. Western Atlantic: Florida, USA to Venezuela. Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Ghana, including the Mediterranean. Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar, and India. Western Pacific: China, Taiwan, and Australia. Central Pacific: Hawaii. Eastern Pacific: Gulf of California and southern Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador.
Note: Distribution range colors indicate degree of suitability of habitat which can be interpreted as probabilities of occurrence (fishbase.org)