Sandbar shark
Carcharhinus plumbeus
- Not on exhibit
- Animal type
- Sharks & rays
- Ecosystem
- Coastal waters
- Relatives
- Dusky, bignose and bull sharks; Family: Carcharhinidae (requiem sharks)
- Diet
- Bony fishes, small sharks, octopuses, shrimps, rays, snails
- Range
- Worldwide in subtropical waters
- Size
- Up to 8 feet (2.5 meters)
Meet the sandbar shark
The sandbar shark is one of the largest coastal pelagic sharks, and can be up to eight feet long. True to its name, it's often found in sandy or muddy areas close to land.
Did you know?
Also known as the brown or thickskin shark, the sandbar shark is easily recognized by its large dorsal (top) fin.
Sandbar sharks occasionally venture out to oceanic waters. In some areas, they migrate seasonally in response to changing water temperatures and localized upwelling events, which help provide food. They dine on bony fishes and smaller sharks and rays, as well as invertebrates like cephalopods, shrimp and snails.
Conservation
As with most shark species, shark finning and overfishing have devastated the sandbar shark population in recent decades. This species is long-lived and produces few young, making them particularly prone to overfishing. Sandbar sharks are ranked as "Vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Without more regulations, many shark species will become extinct.
Cool facts
- Unlike some sharks, the sandbar shark bears live young. The embryos receive nourishment from a placentalike attachment to the mother's uterine wall. Females have young every two or three years, and gestation is about 12 months.
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