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.
• Can grow to about 7 feet long, but the young that are most often found in the Bay are about 2 to 3 feet long.

Where does the sandbar shark live?

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

• They are most often found in shallow grass beds and over sand bars.
• May move into Maryland waters but are most common in the Virginia portion of the Bay.
• In the fall they leave the Bay for warmer southern waters.

What does the sandbar shark eat?

Sandbar sharks in the 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 for 12 months, a female gives birth to eight to 10 live young.
• Juveniles then move into the Bay in large schools. The Bay is one of the most important sandbar shark nursery areas on the East Coast.

Other facts about the sandbar shark:

• The most common gray shark along the mid-Atlantic coast.
• Skeleton is made entirely of cartilage.
• Females can live as long as 21 years and males can live to 15 years.
• Although you may encounter a young sandbar shark swimming near your favorite Bay beach, this species has never been known to harm humans.