Pacific Sharpnose Shark

About the Pacific Sharpnose Shark

The Pacific Sharpnose Shark can be found in warm temperate and tropical waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean from California through Central American to Peru in South America. They swim at least 27 m deep over sand and muddy bottoms.  

Biology and Behaviour:

Pacific Sharpnoses are small sharks with inconspicuous dusky fin edges. They have a long snout, short labial furrows, small wide-spaced nostrils, no spiracles, large eyes and its second dorsal fin is far behind the anal fin. They are grey-brown or bronze with a pale underside.

They have narrow-cusped small teeth in their upper and lower jaws. They mainly eat crustaceans and fish.

Reproduction and Lifespan

Females are viviparous and give birth to an average of seven pups per litter. They gestate for 10 to 12 months.  

At birth, Pacific Sharpnose sharks are on average about 31 cm long. Males mature between 29 cm to 38 cm and females mature between 32 to 41 cm long. The maximum length reported was 154 from Peru. Pacific Sharpnose Sharks rarely grow more than 120 cm.

Conservation and Tourism

The IUCN lists Pacific Sharpnose sharks as data deficient.

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