Species profile
Bignose Shark
Carcharhinus altimus
At a glance
Bignose Shark (Carcharhinus altimus) is an IUCN Near Threatened invertebrate regulated in 2 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
Listed under MSA and CITES — verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Notable details
- Bignose sharks can reach nearly 10 feet (3 meters) in length.
- They're typically found at depths of 25 to 430 meters along continental and insular shelf edges.
- Their broadly rounded, prominent snout is the feature that gives them their common name.
- They're viviparous, giving birth to litters of 3 to 15 pups after roughly a 12-month gestation.
- Their diet includes bony fish, smaller sharks, rays, and cephalopods.
Jurisdictions with rules for Bignose Shark
Protected status
- Atlantic HMS prohibited — must release unharmed.
- CITES Appendix II (Carcharhinidae — all requiem sharks, CoP19 effective Nov 2023).
Always verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Background
The bignose shark (Carcharhinus altimus) is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae. Distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters, this migratory shark frequents deep waters around the edges of the continental shelf. It is typically found at depths of 90–430 m (300–1,410 ft), though at night it may move towards the surface or into shallower water. The bignose shark is…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Bignose Shark article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other invertebrates on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.