To about 11.5 ft (3.5 m).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• Snout much shorter than width of mouth and bluntly rounded
• Eyes small
• Body stocky to heavy, especially in adults
• Color pale to dark gray above, white below
• No interdorsal ridge

DISTRIBUTION

NY to Brazil, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Rare north of DE.

HABITAT

Primarily shallow coastal water; common in lagoons, bays, river mouths; often enters far into fresh water.

SIZE

To about 6 ft (1.8 m).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• Snout pointed, shorter than width of mouth; gill slits long
• Fins unmarked, pectoral fin undersides pure white
• First dorsal fin originating behind insertion of pectoral fins along inner margin
• Color bluish-gray above, white below
• Teeth slender, erect, smooth or irregularly serrated; similar in both jaws
• No interdorsal ridge

DISTRIBUTION

NY to FL, including Gulf of Mexico and Cuba. Rare north of NC.

HABITAT

Coastal; inshore shallow waters <20 ft (6 m).

SIZE

To about 8 ft (2.4 m).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• First dorsal fin large, triangular, originating over or slightly before pectoral insertion
• Pectoral fins large, broad
• Snout shorter than width of mouth
• Color brownish-gray or brown above, white below
• Interdorsal ridge

DISTRIBUTION

Cape Cod, MA, to FL, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

HABITAT

Inshore shallow coastal waters, including bays, harbors, and estuaries; typically in waters 5-180 ft (2-55 m); also offshore, occasionally to 600-810 ft (183-247 m); bottom dwelling.

SIZE

To about 13 ft (4 m).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• Snout conical, pointed
• Caudal fin lunate with single keel on caudal peduncle
• Color deep blue above; light metallic blue sides; snow-white below, including underside of snout and area around mouth
• Teeth long, bladelike, smooth-edged, protruding from mouth

DISTRIBUTION

Newfoundland, Canada, to Brazil, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Common in U.S. Northeast.

HABITAT

Offshore from surface to at least 500 ft (152 m); generally in waters >61°F (16°C).

SIZE

To about 9 ft (2.7 m).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• Anal, first and second dorsal, pectoral, and lower caudal fins black-tipped (look as if dipped in jet black paint) in specimens >2.6 ft (0.8 m)
• First dorsal fin fairly small, originating over or just behind free tips of pectoral fins, apex rounded
• Snout pointed, as long as or longer than width of mouth
• Color gray or bronze above with light, conspicuous wedge-shaped band or Z-shaped line on sides beginning near pectoral fins, gradually widening rearward to pelvic fins to merge with white on belly
• No interdorsal ridge

DISTRIBUTION

VA to FL, including Gulf of Mexico; possibly into Caribbean.

HABITAT

Coastal and offshore. Common in shallow waters <100 ft (30 m).

SIZE

To about 18 ft (5.5 m).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• Dorsal surfaces of juveniles covered with dark blotches on bluish- or greenish-gray to black background; blotches fuse to form tigerlike vertical bars or stripes as shark grows; coloration fades to gray and stripes become less distinct in adults
• Snout blunt and wide, much shorter than width of mouth; long labial furrows around corners of mouth reaching eyes
• Teeth serrated with deep notch on outer margins, similar in both jaws
• Interdorsal ridge low

DISTRIBUTION

Cape Cod, MA, to Uruguay, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

HABITAT

Coastal waters close inshore to outer continental shelf; offshore including oceanic island groups.

 

SIZE

To about 9 ft (2.7 m).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

• Mouth near tip of snout with conspicuous nasal barbels on each side; deep grooves connecting nostrils with mouth
• First and second dorsal and anal fins broadly rounded; second dorsal fin nearly as large as first dorsal fin
• First dorsal fin originating well behind pectoral fins and over or behind origin of pelvic fins
• Caudal fin with no distinct lower lobe
• Color dark brown to yellow-brown above; lighter below, occasionally with yellowish hue on underside; juveniles often with black spots
• Very small eyes
• No interdorsal ridge

DISTRIBUTION

RI to Brazil, including Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Rare north of Cape Hatteras, NC.

HABITAT

Coastal; bottom dwelling; often in or close to coral reefs; young in very shallow water; adults in progressively deeper water.

SIMILAR SPECIES

Sand tiger and lemon shark have caudal fins with distinct lower lobe; lack nasal barbels.