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Home , Atlantic sharpnose shark, Blacknose shark, Finetooth shark, Thresher shark, Tiger shark

Identification If you don’t know, let it go and Federal Regulations for the Recreational of the U.S. Atlantic and Prohibited are underlined in red Federal fishing permit required in Federal waters | Purchase at hmspermits.noaa.gov Authorized Species Minimum Size (fork length) Bag Limit (per trip) Smoothhound shark None None None 1 per person None 1 per person Hammerheads (great, scalloped, and smooth) 78 inches 1 per vessel (hammerhead OR other shark) Other 54 inches blunt Anatomy of a Shark snout fin origin first dorsal length second fin pointed second dorsal fin mouth width caudal very pointed pectoral anal fin fin (tail) fins pelvic head length fin tail tooth fork length keel All ridgeback sharks are prohibited, except for , oceanic whitetip, or smoothhound sharks Ridgeback sharks are sharks with an interdorsal ridge Prohibited ridgeback sharks: (a visible line of raised skin between dorsal fins) bignose, reef, dusky, Galapagos, night, large, rounded first dorsal fin sandbar, and silky sharks

mottled white coloration on tips of most fins caudal blunt snout keel : young sharks have black mottling on most fins; does not always have interdorsal ridge; max. size 8 ft; offshore : snout length much shorter than mouth width; markings Cannot be retained if tuna, swordfish, or billfish are onboard fade with age; max. size 15 feet; coastal and offshore There is no Federal permit requirement, predorsal ridge ridge minimum size, or bag limit for white spots spines on front of both dorsal fins oval-shaped eyes Smoothhound: (a.k.a. smooth dogfish and /Gulf smoothhound) no anal fin predorsal ridge present; second dorsal fin slightly smaller than first dorsal Spiny dogfish: max. size 4 ft; coastal and offshore fin and much larger than anal fin; max. size 5 ft; coastal and offshore Scalloped hammerheads, great hammerheads, and smooth hammerheads cannot be retained if tuna, swordfish, or billfish are onboard Indented Indented No indent Pointed Pointed Not pointed Not pointed Pointed Pointed

Scalloped hammerhead: max. size 11 ft; : max. size 15 ft; Smooth hammerhead: max. size 12 ft; coastal and offshore coastal and offshore coastal and offshore There is no minimum size for Atlantic sharpnose sharks or white spots, usually pointed snout

shovel-shaped head Labial furrow

Atlantic sharpnose shark: max. size 3 ft; coastal and offshore; similar species: smalltail Bonnethead: small, black spots on sharks have very reduced labial furrows and Caribbean sharpnose sharks lack white spots body; max. size 4 ft; mostly coastal All sharks within a species are not identical; however, these are common characteristics for the majority of individuals. Young sharks can vary in appearance from adults. Maximum sizes are approximate. Prepared by W.B. Driggers III, E.R. Hoffmayer, J.I. Castro, K.S. Davis, M. Clark, and P. Cooper. National Marine Service. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms. Photographs and illustrations provided by NMFS, J. Castro, W.B. Driggers III, E.R. Hoffmayer, and S. Iglésias. Revised January 2016 Use this key to identify non-ridgeback sharks Single dorsal fin YES NO Sharpnose sevengill shark: (pictured) max. size 4 ft; offshore deepwater; or sixgill shark (not pictured) Flattened body YES

NO Dark body with many Atlantic angel shark: max. Blunt snout YES YES white spots; lower lobe size 5 ft; offshore deepwater with mouth of tail well-developed at tip; first NO shark: max. size dorsal fin 45 ft; mostly offshore above pelvic Orange/brown body; lower fins YES lobe of tail poorly developed NO Blunt snout; : max. size First and YES second dorsal YES 10 ft; mostly coastal second fin origin dorsal fins directly above nearly anal fin origin : max. size 10 ft; mostly coastal same size NO

NO YES Pointed snout; second dorsal fin origin well in front of anal fin origin YES YES Bigeye : (not pictured) Very long Eyes extend to top of head; distinct max. size 8 ft; mostly offshore tail (upper grooves from above eyes to slits Sand tiger: All three species of sand lobe) tiger sharks are prohibited NO

NO

Gill slits very long, extending from upper head YES : (not pictured) to nearly middle of throat; teeth very small Thresher shark: max. size max. size 35 ft; offshore 9 ft; mostly offshore NO YES First dorsal fin Head longer YES Single caudal YES YES Tail lobes than pectoral fin (upper and keel on each origin behind lower) nearly side pectoral fins NO same size; : (not pictured) max. NO NO very pointed size 13 ft; offshore Shortfin mako: max. size 12 ft; snout mostly offshore

NO NOAA Fisheries encourages the live release of shortfin mako and sharks. White shark: max. size 20 ft; coastal and offshore Two caudal keels on each side; first dorsal YES fin origin above pectoral fins; white marking on rear edge of first dorsal fin Upper tail Midpoint of first Porbeagle: max. size 11 ft; lobe YES YES dorsal fin closer mostly offshore obviously to pelvic fins longer than pectoral fins than lower : bright blue coloration; lobe NO max. size 11 ft; mostly offshore

Blunt snout shorter YES than mouth width

NO YES Black tips on : max. size 9 ft; mostly Black tips on YES Pointed snout most fins coastal, but can be offshore pectoral fins except anal and tail fin; snout NO length same or shorter YES YES Grey to blue body; than mouth teeth same in upper width and lower jaw NO : max. size 6 ft; : max. size 5 ft; coastal and offshore NO mostly coastal Black tip on anal fin (except Grey to yellow body; young sharks); black marking snout length YES usually on tip of same or longer snout; teeth different than mouth YES in upper & lower jaw; : max. size 8 ft; : max. size 4 ft; width; first second dorsal fin coastal and offshore coastal and offshore dorsal fin origin may have markings, behind pectoral but not other fins fin If you don’t know, let it go All species that may be retained in Federal waters are shown on this placard | Prohibited species are underlined in red