Sandbar Shark

Carcharhinus plumbeus

The sandbar shark is a classic-looking shark with a brown to dark gray body and a whitish belly. Adults have:

• Saw-like teeth.
• A rounded snout.
• A tall, triangular first dorsal fin.
• A thick, narrow ridge of skin running along the back between the two dorsal fins.

Sandbar sharks can grow to about 7 feet long, but the young that are most often found in the Chesapeake Bay are about 2 to 3 feet long.

Where does the sandbar shark live?

Large schools of juvenile sandbar sharks visit the Chesapeake Bay in summer and fall.

• Sandbar sharks are most often found in the Bay's shallow grass beds and over sand bars.
• Sandbar sharks are most common in the Virginia portion of the Chesapeake Bay, though some may move northward into Maryland waters.
• In the fall, sandbar sharks leave the Bay for warmer southern waters.

What does the sandbar shark eat?

Sandbar sharks in the Chesapeake Bay feed mostly on blue crabs, as well as other invertebrates and bottom fishes.

How do sandbar sharks reproduce?

Sandbar sharks are different from most other fishes because females give birth to live young. After carrying them for 12 months, a female sandbar shark gives birth to eight to 10 live young.

After birth, juvenile sandbar sharks form large schools and move into the Chesapeake Bay, which is one of the most important sandbar shark nursery areas on the East Coast.

Other facts about the sandbar shark:

• The sandbar shark is the most common gray shark along the mid-Atlantic coast.
• The sandbar shark's skeleton is made entirely of cartilage.
• Female sandbar sharks can live as long as 21 years and males can live to 15 years.
• 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 species when swimming or wading in the water.