FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

1342 Sharks
Carcharhinus macloti (Müller and Henle, 1839)
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Hypoprion macloti (Müller and Henle, 1839) / None.
FAO names: En - Hardnose shark; Fr - Requin à nez rude; Sp - Tiburón trompudo.
Diagnostic characters: A small shark. Body relatively
slender. Snout very long and narrowly rounded or
pointed, its length greater than mouth width and distance
between nostrils; labial furrows very short; anterior nasal
flaps with a slender elongate lobe; spiracles absent; teeth
with smooth edges, those in upper jaw with narrow,
oblique or nearly erect cusps and strong cusplets on
each side of cusp; teeth in lower jaw with erect to oblique,
smooth cusps and no cusplets. First dorsal fin moderately
large, with a narrowly rounded or pointed apex, its inner
margin greatly elongated, the free rear tip attenuated,
and its origin over inner margins of pectoral fins; second dorsal fin very low, the inner margin over twice
the fin height, fin origin slightly behind that of anal fin, pectoral fins relatively short, with narrowly rounded
or angular tips; elongated rear tip of anal fin extending nearly to lower precaudal pit. No dermal ridge
between dorsal fins. Colour: back greyish or grey-brown, belly white; posterior margin of pectoral fins
and ventral caudal-fin lobe with an inconspicuous white edge; posterioventral and dorsal margins of caudal
fin with a narrow black edge.
Size: Maximum total length below 1 m; size at birth 45 to 50 cm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: A common shark of continental waters inshore and offshore down to a
depth of 170 m. Viviparous, number of embryos usually 2 (one per uterus). Feeds mainly on fishes, also
on cephalopods and crustaceans. Not known to be dangerous to humans. Caught with floating gill nets,
also bottom gill nets and longlines. One of the most abundant sharks taken in gill nets (also caught by line
gear), but of limited interest to fisheries because of its small size. Utilized fresh and probably dried salted
for human consumption.
Distribution: Occurs off
Kenya and Tanzania, possibly
the Gulf of Aden, and from
Pakistan eastward to New
Guinea, northern Australia,
China, Taiwan Province of
China and southern Korea
and Japan.
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ventral view
of head
upper and lower
tooth near centre