NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SANDBAR SHARK 



11 



Corcharias lourus 

 Caleocerdo cuvier 

 Negopr/on brevirostris 

 Aprionodon isodon 

 Carcharhinus limbatus* 

 Carcharhinus macutipinnis 

 Carcharhinus leucas 

 Eulamia milberti 

 Eulamia altima 

 Eulamia floridarya 

 Eulamia obscura 

 Sphyrna sp.** 



115 



' '" y-i';""— 1 ?.? 



INCHES 



I L 



I 



_L 



_L 



J_ 



J_ 



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J_ 



J_ 



J_ 



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J_ 



_1_ 



_L 



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J_ 



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10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 



size range of embryos 



d- 



^^ 



= size of adults 



Figure 3. — Comparative sizes of adults and joung of common large sharks found within the geographical range of E. 

 milberti. The figures at the right indicate the number of specimens in the sample used to determine size range. The 

 size ranges for embr_vos are estimates based on maximum observed lengths of embryos and minimun lengths of free- 

 swimming young observed in Florida collections. (* Size range in Florida-Antillean specimens. Western Gulf of 

 Mexico and Central American coast specimens are smaller and produce smaller young. The western stock may 

 prove to be distinct and if so should take the name Carcharhinus natator Meek and Hildebrand. ** The great 

 hammerhead of the West Indian region, following Bigelow and Schroeder (1948). The nomenclature is now unsettled. 

 The name Sphyrna tudes is not available for the great hammerhead and probably should be replaced by Sphyrna 

 mokarran (Ruppell).) 



dental recruitment from the principal population. 

 Within the expected vertical and geographical 

 range of the species are some areas which appear 

 to be avoided. IL ia^^iell to^'uientioii a^*iit that 

 the sandbar shark, like other large sharks, is not 

 prevented by well-defined barriers from wander- 

 ing out of its normal range. 



The limits of distribution are therefore not 

 sharph- defined. Following the traditional pat- 

 tern in descriptions of distribution it may be said 

 that the sandbar shark, as rejiresented by the 

 western Xorth Atlantic population, is common 

 in summer off the Atlantic coast from Cape Cod 

 to West Palm Beach, Fla., and in winter from 



the coast of the Carolinas around the tip of 

 Florida to the gulf coast of Florida as far north 

 as Tarpon Springs. It occurs uncommonly in the 

 western part of the Gulf of Mexico and along the 

 continental shores southward to Costa Rica. It 

 is a casual visitor on the northern coast of Cuba 

 and the western edges of the Bahama Banks. Its 

 vertical range is from the shoreline out to li'?5 

 fathoms. It enters bay mouths but is not found 

 in fresli waters. 



The ])rincipal source of information on the 

 distribution of tlie sandbar shark comes from the 

 commercial shark fishery. Atlantic 'coast shark 

 fishernxen iised bottoiu setlines -Aiore often than 



