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| All About Sharks | Atlantic Sharpnose Shark |
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The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae) is a harmless, edible, requiem shark. The Sharpnose is a small, slender shark with 5 gill slits, two dorsal fins, an anal fin, no fin spines, the mouth behind the eyes, and nictitating eyelids. It has a long, sharp snout, black-edged dorsal and caudal fins (which fade with age), and furrowed or wrinkled corners of the mouth. It is brown to olive-gray colored with white countershading on the belly. It is from 2 to 4 feet (60-120 cm) long. The sharpnose is viviparous, giving birth to litters of 4 to 7 pups.
Diet: A carnivore, the sharpnose eats small fish, mollusks, and shrimp.
Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Chondrichthyes, Order Carcharhiniformes, Family Carcharinidae, Genus Rhizoprionodon, Species terraenovae.
Distribution: This shark is found in the Atlantic Ocean (from Florida to Newfoundland), and in the Gulf of Mexico.
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