Rhizoprionodon terraenovae
Small shark, common in the surf zone, in bays, and at river mouths of the northwestern Atlantic. Not threatened, it is taken in both recreational and subsistence fishing.
Also called: cação-bicudo-atlântico, bicudo, tubarão-frango, Atlantic sharpnose shark, cazón de ley
The Atlantic sharpnose shark is a small, slender shark with a long, pointed snout, reaching 1.1 m and over 7 kg. It is abundant on the continental shelf, from the intertidal zone to deeper waters, almost always within 10 m. It usually stays near the surf zone, in bays, coves, ports, estuaries, and river mouths. It eats small fish, shrimp, crabs, worms, and mollusks. The female has 1 to 7 pups, 29 to 37 cm long, after a gestation of 10 to 11 months in the northern Gulf of Mexico. It lives about 10 years. It is caught for subsistence, and FishBase lists it as a sport fish. According to FishBase, it is not dangerous to people.
Small shark, usually gray and slender, with a long, pointed snout. The rear margin of the anal fin is straight or slightly concave. FishBase notes that the separation between this species and the Caribbean sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon porosus), from the Caribbean to Uruguay, is still debated; the Brazilian sharpnose shark (R. lalandii, cação-frango) is another look-alike. Young Carcharhinus sharks, which look broadly similar, can be mistaken for it. When in doubt, release it.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Western Atlantic: from New Brunswick (Canada) to the Gulf of Mexico. FishBase also mentions the Brazilian coast, but here the species is listed for the Bahamas, Cuba, Guyana, Jamaica, and Mexico; in Brazil the Caribbean sharpnose shark (R. porosus) and the Brazilian sharpnose shark (R. lalandii) occur.
Habitat: Surf zone of sandy beaches, bays, coves, ports, estuaries, and river mouths, almost always down to 10 m; also in deeper shelf waters.
Estimate: present all year in the tropics and closer to shore in the warm months of the Northern Hemisphere.
Daytime, with peaks at dawn and dusk. No defined time in the sources we checked (estimate): it hunts near the surf zone, most active at dawn and dusk.
A cold front pulls the shark out of the surf zone and into deeper water.
A pressure drop ahead of a front usually brings a brief peak in activity (estimate).
Spring tides move more water in the surf zone and at river-bar inlets.
Heavy rain lowers salinity at the river mouth and pushes the shark out of the shallows.
Not applicable at sea.
Not very sensitive to noise.
Choppy sea helps surf fishing; a strong swell makes casting hard.
The incoming tide carries the shark into bays and channels.
Usually from 0 to 10 m; it has been recorded down to 280 m.
natural baits
accessories
It is a small, toothy shark: use a short steel leader and release it in the water, without dragging it on the sand. Fish away from bathers.
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: IUCN global assessment: LC (Jun 20, 2019). Does not occur in Brazil according to the app's country list; Brazilian rules apply if it is hooked in Brazilian waters.
In Brazil, finning is banned: catching sharks and rays and keeping only the fins, discarding the body (art. 3). Sharks and rays landed must arrive with all fins naturally attached to the body; carrying an animal aboard without fins or with loose fins, and transferring sharks and rays between fishing vessels, is prohibited. This applies to any species that may be retained.
In recreational sport fishing in Mexican marine waters, the limit for sharks is one fish per angler per day, which counts as five toward the total limit of ten fish (item 4.9.1 b). Fish over the limit must be returned alive to the water (item 4.9.5), and recreational catch may not be sold (item 4.11). Fish that are released do not count toward the limit: prefer to release it.
The official fishing guide of the Bahamas states that shark fishing is not allowed, that sharks have been protected since a 2011 amendment, that they may only be taken under special permits for very specific purposes, and that a shark hooked in any fishing must be released unharmed. The page does not cite the number of the rule.
Short fight and release with the shark in the water. Hold it with a glove by the base of the tail and under the belly, never by the gills; cut the leader close to the mouth if the hook is deep. Revive it facing the current before letting go.
Eaten where subsistence fishing exists. Sharks retain urea in their flesh: bleed and gut it promptly. In countries with a quota, such as Mexico, the limit of 1 shark per angler per day applies.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00417, b = 3.0; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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The season factors (months), the time of day, and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water, and noise) are editorial estimates by the app, based on the literature cited below and on field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species and may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the standard and link. The months indicate when anglers usually find the species near the coast, not a catch season.
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