Carcharhinus galapagensis
Dark grey shark of oceanic islands and clear waters, curious and sometimes bold around divers. Critically Endangered (CR) on the national list, although Least Concern (LC) worldwide: capture banned.
Also called: tubarão-de-Galápagos, cação-de-Galápagos
The Galapagos shark is a tropical, circumglobal shark linked to oceanic islands, where it is common, but limited to the habitat it prefers: clear waters over coral and rock bottoms, near the coast and on the shelf. Juveniles stay in waters down to 25 m. The shark can cross more than 50 km of open sea between islands. It eats bottom fish, squid and octopus; in the Galapagos, also sea lions and marine iguanas. In the Atlantic, FishBase cites the São Pedro e São Paulo Archipelago (PE). The IUCN rates it as Least Concern (LC, 2018), but the national list classifies it as Critically Endangered (CR). It is curious and sometimes aggressive toward divers. Do not seek out the species.
Dark grey shark above, pale below, with a low skin ridge between the two dorsal fins. Fins smooth or with slightly dark tips. It closely resembles the dusky shark (another Carcharhinus with an interdorsal ridge), which is hard to tell apart, as well as the Caribbean reef shark and the barriga-d'água. What helps is where it lives: oceanic islands, in clear waters. If the shark has a ridge between the dorsal fins and you are unsure, release it.
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Circumglobal in tropical waters, preferring oceanic islands (FishBase: 36°N to 34°S). In Brazil, FishBase cites the São Pedro e São Paulo Archipelago (PE), in the equatorial Atlantic; so the coast indicated is the Northeast. In the eastern Pacific, the Galapagos. On FishBase's Latin American country list: Brazil, Mexico, Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile.
Habitat: Oceanic islands and shelves, in clear waters over coral and rock bottoms; juveniles stay less than 25 m deep, and the species usually lives between 30 and 180 m.
coast
Estimate: present year-round at the oceanic islands; the weights are neutral. Capture is banned all year.
Any time. There is no reliable data on daily activity timing in Brazil; it tends to hunt near the bottom, but may take bait at the surface.
Tropical species; cold water keeps it away.
Little known effect.
No known effect.
Not very relevant.
Not applicable at sea.
Curious around divers and boats; it may come close.
Rough seas end trips to the islands.
Tide and current move water along the island edges.
Juveniles less than 25 m; usually 30 to 180 m.
accessories
If a Galapagos shark bites by accident, keep it in the water and cut the line flush with the hook. It is curious and sometimes aggressive: no one in the water during the release.
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: On the national list of threatened species as CR (already on the previous list). Global: Least Concern (LC, assessed 07/12/2018 by the IUCN). The whole family Carcharhinidae has been in Appendix II of CITES since 25/11/2023.
The national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026) classifies the species as CR. Under Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3), VU, EN and CR species have full protection: catch, transport, storage, processing and trade are banned. If you hook one by accident, release it right away, with minimal handling.
Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026, art. 3º, and Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026
In Brazil, finning is banned: cutting off the fins and discarding the rest of the body. The rule covers landing, transport, and trade by fishing vessels: every shark or ray must arrive whole, with its fins naturally attached to the body (partially folding them against the body is allowed); carrying an animal aboard without fins or with loose fins, and transferring sharks and rays between vessels, is prohibited. This does not authorize catching this species, which is banned.
In recreational sport fishing in Mexican saltwaters, the limit for sharks is one specimen per angler per day, which counts as five toward the total limit of ten fish. Fish caught in sport fishing may not be sold. Catch and release does not count toward the limit: prefer releasing.
In 2021 Colombia stopped considering sharks and marine rays a fishery resource and began treating them as a hydrobiological resource; the recitals of Decree 281/2021 state that they may not be extracted for commercial or sport purposes, and the decree created an environmental protection plan. Later AUNAP rules dealt with incidental catch in artisanal fishing; we did not check the consolidated text. When in doubt, release it into the water.
Law 9 of 2006 bans finning in Panama's jurisdictional waters. The law's definition of shark fishing covers directed or incidental catch by artisanal, commercial, industrial and sport vessels. The fine for artisanal fishing reaches 1,000 balboas, without prejudice to criminal liability. In the sources we checked, we did not find a specific Panamanian rule on retention or release for sport anglers.
Law 20.525 (2011) added art. 5 bis to the General Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture: it is forbidden to cut the fins of any shark on board fishing vessels or during transshipment, and landing must be done with the fins fully or partially attached to the body. A loose fin without the corresponding trunk on board is presumed to be an offense. The fine for the vessel owner ranges from 50 to 500 UTM. We did not verify a specific Chilean rule on shark retention in marine recreational fishing.
This is not catch and release: it is release of accidental catch. Keep the shark in the water and cut the line as close to the hook as possible. Do not lift it by the tail or take photos out of the water; it is curious and can be aggressive.
Capture and trade banned in Brazil. In other countries it has little commercial use (FishBase). Under the national list, release it.
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00525, b = 3.08; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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The seasonal weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on field experience from anglers and guides. The water temperature range and the common size range are also editorial estimates, supported by FishBase. The months show when an angler usually finds the species, not a catch season. They are not official data or measurements made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
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