Carcharhinus sorrah

Characteristic features:

Colour:

Dorsal surfaces bronze, fading to brownish grey to grey after death; a pale stripe on each side. Pectoral, second dorsal and lower caudal fins with distinct black tips; first dorsal and upper caudal fins with dusky margins. Ventral surfaces almost white.

Size:

Maximum size up to 160 cm TL; birth size 45–60 cm TL.

Distribution:

Found throughout the tropical Indo-West Pacific.

Habitat:

Occurs over continental and insular shelves, including around coral reefs, from the intertidal to at least 140 m depth.

Biology:

Feeds primarily on small bony fish, but also crustacean and cephalopods (mainly octopuses). Length at maturity is 90–95 for both sexes. Age at maturity is 2–3 years for both sexes. Reproductive mode is viviparous with yolk-sac placenta. In Australia females give birth in January after a 10 month gestation period and breed every year. Litter size is 1–8 (3 average) pups. Newborns are found in shallower water, segregated from adults. Population genetic studies have shown that Indonesian and northern Australian populations are not shared. Maximum age reported as at least 7 and 5 years for females and males respectively.

Indonesian fisheries:

Common catch of the shark longline and inshore gillnet fisheries. Utilised for its fins and meat, skin and cartilage, but is of limited value due to its small size.

Similar species:

Commonly confused with the black-tipped species.

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides
Graceful shark

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides differs in having no interdorsal ridge (vs. interdorsal ridge present) and in having the first dorsal and pelvic fins usually distinctly black-tipped, at least in juveniles (vs. not distinctly black-tipped).

to Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides

Carcharhinus brevipinna
Spinner shark

Carcharhinus brevipinna differs in having no interdorsal ridge (vs. interdorsal ridge present) and in having the first dorsal and pelvic fins usually distinctly black-tipped, at least in juveniles (vs. not distinctly black-tipped).

to Carcharhinus brevipinna

Carcharhinus limbatus
Common blacktip shark

Carcharhinus limbatus differs in having no interdorsal ridge (vs. interdorsal ridge present) and in having the first dorsal and pelvic fins usually distinctly black-tipped, at least in juveniles (vs. not distinctly black-tipped).

to Carcharhinus limbatus

Carcharhinus tilstoni
Australian blacktip shark

Carcharhinus tilstoni differs in having no interdorsal ridge (vs. interdorsal ridge present) and in having the first dorsal and pelvic fins usually distinctly black-tipped, at least in juveniles (vs. not distinctly black-tipped).

to Carcharhinus tilstoni

FishBase
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM