The Caribbean sharpnose shark (''Rhizoprionodon porosus'') is a

requiem shark Requiem sharks are sharks of the family Carcharhinidae in the order Carcharhiniformes. They are migratory, live-bearing sharks of warm seas (sometimes of brackish or fresh water) and include such species as the tiger shark, bull shark, lem ...

, and part of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Carcharhinidae.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in the

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...

waters of the western

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Afr ...

and the Caribbean, between latitudes 28° N and 40° S, from the surface to a depth of 500 m.

Description

The maximum reported size for the Caribbean sharpnose shark is . The average adult size appears to be about . Both sexes seem to reach maturity at about in length, and just over 2 years old. The life span is estimated to be about 8–10 years old.

Taxonomy

The species was once confused as being the same species as the

Atlantic sharpnose shark The Atlantic sharpnose shark (''Rhizoprionodon terraenovae'') is a requiem shark in the family Carcharhinidae, found in the subtropical waters of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, between latitudes 43°N and 18°N. Description The Atlantic shar ...

- however difference in vertebra counts indicate that it is a separate species.

Breeding

Reproduction and litter size is similar to those of the Atlantic sharpnose shark. File:Rhizoprionodon porosus jaws.jpg, Jaws File:Rhizoprionodon porosus upper teeth.jpg, Upper teeth File:Rhizoprionodon porosus lower teeth.jpg, Lower teeth

References

External links

* * http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/CSharpnose/CSharpnose.html {{Taxonbar, from=Q1729352

Caribbean sharpnose shark The Caribbean sharpnose shark (''Rhizoprionodon porosus'') is a requiem shark, and part of the family Carcharhinidae. Distribution and habitat It is found in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the seco ...

Viviparous fish Fish of the Caribbean Fish of the Dominican Republic