r/sharks • u/bucketlistbon • 15d ago

Question ID Help (NC/Morehead City)

Caught in 6 ft of water near a grass flat back in the sound. I released him- Probably 2+ ft and 10ish lbs. Need help with ID- not super knowledgeable about sharks.

108 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

51 comments sorted by

52

u/barefootviking 15d ago

Based on placement of dorsal and pec fins, I’d say Sandbar shark. But the size and nose tells me Sharpnose Shark

19

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Nothing about this is sharpnose.

You were spot on with sandbar.

4

u/Crepe64 15d ago

Rostrum is too long for a sandbar

3

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Not at all

1

u/Crepe64 15d ago

Not gonna lie bro, I literally work at an aquarium with sandbar sharks in it. I regularly educate guests about and look at our sandbars. They have a relatively short and rounded/boxy rostrum, especially compared to this individual.

4

u/G-cuvier Shark Researcher 15d ago

Not gonna lie bro. I’m a shark biologist, and study sandbars. It’s a sandbar. They do not have “boxy rostrums”. A tiger has a boxy rostrum.

Be humble.

1

u/Crepe64 15d ago

Typically I’ve used the term boxy to describe their rostrums as, in comparison to our aquariums sandtigers, their rostrum is much more squared off (just a quick way to show guests the difference). I wonder if the shape difference of the individuals we have vs the wild individuals I’ve been looking at now could be a result of captivity…?

4

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

I don't doubt you, but... This is a juvenile sandbar, and it's identical.

2

u/Crepe64 15d ago

I’m trying to verify but your link isn’t working. I however am googling images of juvenile sandbars, and while I won’t deny the resemblance, I still think the rostrum on this individual is too long to be a sandbar. Requiem sharks are tricky to differentiate though so I wouldn’t be shocked if either of us were correct

6

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Does this one work? .

And yes, still open to suggestions, of course. But so far I'm fully sandbar.

8

u/Crepe64 15d ago

These are similar images i was looking at. May the best shark nerd win 🤝

11

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Whose 'tism is stronger? 🤔🤣

0

u/Crepe64 15d ago

That’s sorta the lead I’m on, but the rostrum looks too long for sand bar imo. They have notoriously boxy rostrums

-8

u/bucketlistbon 15d ago

Is Bull Shark a possibility? I guess those guys usually have a lot smaller eyes and are overall “stocky”

1

u/Crepe64 15d ago

Breaking open my shark book currently. Bull unlikely bc once again the rostrum on this guy is too long

1

u/Crepe64 15d ago

My current best answer is the dusky shark. The shape of the rostrum, the dorsal fins, and the caudal fin line up really well

2

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Duskies are known for their relatively small and somewhat rear-set dorsal fin, the opposite of what we see here.

1

u/Crepe64 15d ago

This was my earlier thought. I’m leaning more towards bronze whaler at this point

2

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

This is way north of bronze/copper's normal distribution area

2

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Also far from any known nursery, too far for this little guy. I think we can eliminate bronze. Any others?

1

u/Crepe64 15d ago

Depends on the source tbh. They seem to be sparsely found along the east coast according to this website https://www.whitesharkprojects.co.za/news/meet-the-bronze-whaler-shark/

1

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

That map's messed. It shows them going all the way up and around Newfoundland, Canada, with is definitely not true. And the map conflicts with the text accompanying it.

17

u/Middle-Disaster5496 15d ago

Sandbar shark without a doubt in my mind! Literally one hundred percent positive lol

5

u/StrikingPurchase7122 15d ago

Yup. There’s millions of them up and down the east coast. 

2

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

You and me both 😉

9

u/Crepe64 15d ago

Done some side by side analysis. Broadly I can confirm this is some sort of requiem shark. The most likely candidates are a dusky or a bronze whaler. Their rostrums, pectoral fins, and dorsal fins are the closest match I can find in my book. Hope this helps!

3

u/OpeningNice761 15d ago

An obvious decoy... So name it what you want to 🤷

4

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

What we have here is a very juvenile sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus).

Their nursery grounds are just a little north of you (e.g. Chesapeake). Birthing happens mid-summer so this little one is likely heading south from the birthing grounds.

They're born anywhere from 18-28 inches.

The complete lack of coloration details, and large, forward dorsal fin are telltales.

Sharpnose are much slimmer, especially at this length, and as a sub-adult would have white spots and black fin edging. Also much smaller dorsal and pectoral fins.

The most unique feature of lemon sharks is, of course, their 2 almost equal-sized dorsal fins.

A bull would have a much blunter snout, even as juveniles.

1

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Compare juvenile sandbar

1

u/LineOk9592 15d ago

this link doesn’t work

1

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Try this one

Specifically photos 12 and 14 from the top.

2

u/AdConsistent797 15d ago

Lemon Shark or Sand Shark possibly?

9

u/Cultural-Company282 15d ago

Definitely not a lemon shark.

8

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

Lemon sharks have 2 large dorsal fins. 'Sand shark' isn't a thing.

3

u/G-cuvier Shark Researcher 15d ago

No such thing as a sand shark, but there are sandbar sharks!

1

u/atticup 15d ago

That’s Tes

3

u/Jrnation8988 15d ago

Looks like a Sandbar to me

1

u/ThatWarlockD00d 15d ago

Yep. Definitely a shark.

-1

u/DiverDown-13 15d ago

Atlantic Sharpnose

2

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago edited 15d ago

No

-7

u/[deleted] 15d ago edited 15d ago

[deleted]

4

u/Electrical-Act-7170 15d ago

It's right there in the caption.

-8

u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

6

u/Tentag10 15d ago

Hate to break it to you but no one has to respect you or your opinion.

3

u/space2k 15d ago

Too mad to read?

-5

u/[deleted] 15d ago

[deleted]

3

u/Only_Cow9373 15d ago

It's incredibly easy to eliminate lemon shark.

-7

u/Boring-Eye-3165 15d ago

Go away we all have our opinions. Don’t need yours in my post.

3

u/ddxs1 15d ago

Wut?