Carcharhinus brevipinna

Dorsal surfaces bronze to greyish, fading to grey after death. Fins plain at birth, with distinct black tips becoming more distinct with increasing size. Ventral surfaces almost white.

Maximum size up to 300 cm TL; birth size 60–81 cm TL.

Circumglobal in all tropical and warm temperate waters, except the eastern Pacific.

Found inshore, from nearshore to at least 75 m depth.

Feeds primarily on small bony fish, and also rays and cephalopods. A very active schooling shark, highly migratory in some parts of its range (e.g. Gulf of Mexico). Its common name comes from its ability to frequently spin out of the water during a feeding run through a school of small fish. Length at maturity is 190–200 cm TL for both sexes. Age at maturity is around 8–10 years for both sexes. Reproductive mode is viviparous with yolk-sac placenta. Females give birth to 3–15 pups after a 10–12 month gestation period, and have a 2 year reproductive cycle.

Commonly caught by shark and tuna longliners, with juveniles a very abundant component of inshore gillnet fisheries. Utilised for its fins, meat, skin and cartilage.