Sandbar Shark
Carcharhinus plumbeus
The sandbar shark is a classic-looking shark with a brownish or dark gray body, rounded snout, and tall, triangular first dorsal fin. (Max Sang/Flickr)
The sandbar shark is a classic-looking shark that visits the grassy shallows of the lower and middle Chesapeake Bay in summer and autumn.
Appearance:
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Brownish or dark gray body
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Whitish belly
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Saw-like teeth
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Rounded snout
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Tall, triangular first dorsal fin
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Thick, narrow ridge of skin running along the back between the two dorsal fins
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Grows to about 7 feet long, but the juveniles that are usually found in the Bay are about 2-3 feet long
Habitat:
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Most often found in grassy, shallow, protected areas and over sandbars
Range:
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Large schools of juvenile sandbar sharks visit the Chesapeake Bay in summer and autumn
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Most common in the Virginia portion of the Bay, although some may travel northward into Maryland waters
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Leaves the Bay in autumn for warmer, southern waters
Feeding:
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Eats mostly blue crabs and other bottom-dwelling fish and invertebrates
Predators:
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Juveniles are preyed upon by bull sharks and other large sharks
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Adults have few, if any, predators
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
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After being pregnant for 12 months, females give birth to 8-10 live young in June-August in the Bay’s shallows
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Juveniles remain in the shallows until late autumn, when they form schools and leave the Bay for warmer, southern waters
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Males can live 15 years, while females can live as long as 21 years
Other Facts:
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Also known as the brown shark
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The most common shark found in the Bay and along the mid-Atlantic coast
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Skeleton is made entirely of cartilage
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The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most important sandbar shark nursery areas on the East Coast
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There are very few cases of sandbar sharks making unprovoked attacks on humans. However, you should always use caution to protect yourself from sharks and other underwater creatures when swimming or wading.
Sources and Additional Information:
