Carcharhinus signatus (Poey, 1868)
Night shark
photo by NOAA\NMFS\Mississippi Laboratory

Family:  Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)
Max. size:  280 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 77 kg
Environment:  benthopelagic; marine; depth range 0 - 600 m
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Delaware to Florida (USA), Bahamas, and Cuba; southern Brazil, Argentina (Ref. 244). Eastern Atlantic: Senegal to Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana to Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, off northern Namibia (Ref. 244, 5578).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. A slim shark with a very long, pointed snout, large eyes, and small jaws with oblique-cusped serrated upper teeth; dorsal fins low with elongated rear tips; interdorsal ridge present (Ref. 5578). Grey-brown above, white below; no conspicuous fin markings (Ref. 5578).
Biology:  Coastal and semi-oceanic species found on or along outer continental and insular shelves (Ref. 244). Found to depths of 40 m (Ref. 26938). Forms schools (Ref. 244). Nocturnal (Ref. 5578), and feeding mainly on small bony fishes and squid (Ref. 244). Viviparous (Ref. 50449). Off West Africa, recorded water parameters at 90 to 285 m, where it was caught includes: temperature = 11 to 16°C; salinity = 36 ppt; oxygen = 1.81 ml/l (Ref. 244). Not known to be dangerous to people (Ref. 244).
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (EN); Date assessed: 21 June 2019 (A2bd) Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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