Smalltail shark (Carcharhinus porosus)

Scientific name: Carcharhinus porosus Ranzani, 1839

Smalltail shark (Carcharhinus porosus)

The Smalltail shark (Carcharhinus porosus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Carcharhinidae.

Biology

Found in the continental shelves, preferably over muddy bottoms, and especially in estuaries. Feeds mainly on small fishes including young hammerhead and sharpnose sharks, and shrimps. Viviparous, with 2 to 7 young in a litter. Size at birth between 31 and 40 cm. Utilized fresh for human consumption and processed for fishmeal, and liver extracted for oil.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Carcharhinus porosus
Family
Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)
Order
Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks)
Class
Elasmobranchii (Sharks and Rays)
Maximum length
150
Common length
90.0
Depth range
36 m (118 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; demersal; depth range ? - 36 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Western Atlantic: northern Gulf of Mexico to southern Brazil (excluding the Caribbean islands) and Uruguay. Eastern Pacific: Gulf of California to Peru, not at offshore islands. Specimens of porosus from Borneo, Viet Nam and Thailand may represent an undescribed small species of Carcharhinus.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Data deficient (DD)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience
Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.08; tm=6; tmax=12; assuming Fec

Sources

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

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