Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo 1827)
Other Names: Northern Whaler Shark, Sand Shark, Thickskin Shark
A Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, at Lehua Landing, Hawaii. Source: Ken Tam / Flickr. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
Summary:
A robust greyish-brown to bronzy shark with a moderately long rounded snout, a very large, erect first dorsal fin, triangular saw-edged upper teeth, fins plain or with slightly dusky tips, interdorsal ridge present, underside whitish.
Sandbar sharks are taken in commercial and artisanal fisheries throughout their range, and are heavily exploited for their fins in some areas.
Sandbar sharks are taken in commercial and artisanal fisheries throughout their range, and are heavily exploited for their fins in some areas.
Cite this page as:
Dianne J. Bray, Carcharhinus plumbeus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 20 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/Home/species/1954
Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo 1827)
More Info
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Distribution |
Recorded in Australia from Esperance, Western Australia, around the tropical north to at least Nambucca Heads, New South Wales; also at Norfolk Island in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere, the species is widespread in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Inhabits coastal waters, including shallow estuaries with sandy or muddy bottoms, bays, estuaries and harbours. it also occurs around offshore, around islands, banks and reef flats in depths to 280 m. Juveniles are usually found in warm temperate offshore waters. |
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Feeding |
Carnivore - forages near the seafloor, feeding on small bottom dwelling fishes, crustaceans and molluscs. |
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Biology |
A long-lived shark, slow-growing, late to mature shark with low fecundity. Sandbar Sharks are live bearers (viviparous) with a yolk sac placenta. Females are thought to give birth every two years to 4-10 pups after a gestation period of 9-12 months. Studies of Sandbar sharks off Western Australia showed that females mature at about 16 years of age and males at about 14 years of age. Longevity is 35-41 years. The species is under a comprehensive management plan in Western Australia (McAuleyet al. 2005). Management of the Australian fishery is through input controls implemented as time-gear units. In 2006, the Western Australian Government introduced a number of changes in all commercial fisheries to reduce mortality, particularly dusky and sandbar shark, including: a maximum size limit for dusky shark; additional controls on the use of longline; and the conversion of monthly gear units to daily gear units (McLoughlin 2008, McAuley et al. 2005). |
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Fisheries |
Vulnerable to overfishing due to its longevity and low fecundity. An important part of most shark fisheries throughout its range, and the species has suffered population declines as a result. Sandbar Sharks are an important component of the Western Australian shark fishery, and it has been estimated that biomass has declined to 35% of its level prior to the start of full-time northern shark fishing. The species is under a comprehensive management plan in Western Australia. In 2006, the Western Australian Government introduced a number of changes in all commercial fisheries to reduce mortality, particularly of dusky and sandbar shark, including: a maximum size limit for dusky shark; additional controls on the use of longline; and the conversion of monthly gear units to daily gear units (McLoughlin 2008, McAuley et al. 2005). |
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Conservation |
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near Threatened (Australia); Vulnerable (worldwide). |
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Species Citation |
Squalus plumbeus Nardo, 1827, Isis von Oken, Jena 20(6): 477, 483. Type locality: Adriatic Sea. |
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Author |
Dianne J. Bray |
Sandbar Shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo 1827)
References
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