Blacknose shark (Carcharhinus acronotus)

Scientific name: Carcharhinus acronotus Poey, 1860

The Blacknose shark (Carcharhinus acronotus) is a marine fish of the family Carcharhinidae. Native range: Western Atlantic, North Carolina, USA to southern Brazil and Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

Biology

Found on continental and insular shelves, mainly over sandy, shell, and coral bottoms. Feeds on small fishes, including pinfish (Sparidae) and porcupine fish. Preyed on by larger sharks. Viviparous (with a yolk-sac placenta), with 3 to 6 young per litter. Performs a 'hunch' display, with back arched, caudal lowered and head raised, as a possible threat display when confronted by divers. Utilized dried salted for human consumption.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Carcharhinus acronotus
Family: Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)
Order: Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)
Class: Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length: 200
Environment: Marine; reef-associated, usually 9 - ? m
Climate: Subtropical
Distribution: Western Atlantic: North Carolina, USA to southern Brazil and Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.
Conservation status (IUCN): Near Threatened (NT)
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.12; tm=2; tmax=4.5; Fec=4)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026