| Cartilaginous Fishes | Sharks |
Sandbar Shark
Carcharhinus plumbeus
| Conservation Status: Safe for Now - Protected
- 2
#1
- A. Reitsma. Aquarium of the Pacific
- Our sandbar shark, Ginger
One of the world’s largest coastal sharks, sandbar sharks are the most common species swimming along the US Atlantic coast. Their genus name Carcharhinus, which is of Greek derivation, translates to 'sharpened nose of lead' and although rounded horizontally, their profile is, indeed, sharp. The sandbar part of their common name comes from their preference for sandy bottoms of the ocean for a habitat. They are also called brown sharks. Identifying characteristics include a relatively heavy body, a short, rounded snout, large, dorsal and pectoral fins and a graceful swimming pattern. These sharks have been reported to be involved in some attacks on humans, but they are not generally considered dangerous.
Facts and Features
- Geographic Distribution
Circum-global distribution in tropical and temperate waters
- Amazing Facts
Sandbar sharks are found in warm waters around the world, but the Hawaiian island of Oahu is one of the few places in the world where there an operation that takes visitors out to snorkel with sandbar sharks from the safety of a cage. An ecotourism business in Bonchuk Bay in Gökova,Turkey gives tourists opportunities to safely watch sandbar sharks during the breeding season.
- At the Aquarium
Our sandbar shark, Ginger, came to us in March 2008 from the Mandalay Bay Aquarium in Las Vegas. At the time she was almost eight years old, weighed 40.8 kg ( 90 lb), and was 2.2 m (6 ft) in length.
