Spottail shark

Taxobox
name = Spottail shark


status =
trend =
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Chondrichthyes
subclassis = Elasmobranchii
ordo = Carcharhiniformes
familia = Carcharhinidae
genus = "Carcharhinus"
species = "C. sorrah"
range_

range_map_caption=
binomial = "Carcharhinus sorrah"
binomial_authority = (Müller & Henle, 1839)

The spottail shark, "Carcharhinus sorrah", is a requiem shark of the family Carcharhinidae, found in the Indo-West Pacific oceans waters between latitudes 31° N and 31° S, from the surface to 140 m. Its length is up to about 1.6 m.

The spottail shark is a small, spindle-shaped shark with a long, rounded snout, large circular eyes, and oblique-cusped serrated teeth. The second dorsal fin is very low, and an interdorsal ridge is present. It is found on the continental and insular shelves, primarily near reefs, sometimes in offshore waters. It lives near the seabed during the day and near the surface at night. Prefers teleost fishes but also feeds on cephalopods and crustaceans. It is viviparous.

Regularly caught by local artisanal and small-scale commercial fisheries where it occurs. Its flesh is utilized as a food fish, the fins are used in the oriental shark fin trade, the liver is used for vitamin oil, and the offal for fishmeal.

Coloration is grey or grey-brown above, white below with a golden-brown sheen on the area between the eyes and the gill slits (in fresh specimens). The pectorals, second dorsal, and lower caudal fin lobe have conspicuous black tips, the first dorsal and upper caudal fin lobe having black edging. There is a dark band on the flank extending rearwards to the pelvic fins.

References

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