pacific smalltail shark
Carcharhinus cerdale
Shallow-water tropical shark of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. It does not occur in Brazil and is critically endangered: if it comes on the line, release it right away.
Also called: tubarão-poroso-do-Pacífico, tiburón poroso, cazón, pacific smalltail shark
- maximum
- 140 cm
- depth
- 0–40 m
who is the pacific smalltail shark
The Pacific porous shark is a shark of the family Carcharhinidae, with a smooth back, lacking a strong ridge between the dorsal fins. It reaches 140 cm. It lives near the bottom, in shallow waters down to 40 m, in tropical coasts of the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Peru. The first dorsal fin starts near the middle of the pectorals, and the second is above or behind the base of the anal fin. The species is critically endangered, so it is best to release any specimen caught by mistake.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the pacific smalltail shark.
identification
Smooth back, without a strong interdorsal ridge, and first dorsal fin starting near the middle of the pectorals. The second dorsal starts above or behind the base of the anal fin, and the caudal fin is a quarter of the total length. The upper teeth have triangular, serrated cusps, with a notch on the edges.
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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.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California, in Mexico, to Peru, including Ecuador and Panama. It does not occur in Brazil.
Habitat: Bottom near the coast, in shallow waters down to 40 meters deep.
rules for the pacific smalltail shark
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Critically endangered species: if you hook one by accident, keep the shark in the water, remove the hook carefully or cut the line flush and release it right away, with minimal handling.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
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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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Carcharhinus cerdale (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Carcharhinus cerdaleNames by country and language.