Species profile
Dusky Shark
Carcharhinus obscurus
At a glance
Dusky Shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) is an IUCN Endangered invertebrate regulated in 5 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
Confirmed by 19 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Florida, Delaware, and Massachusetts the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Listed under MSA and CITES — verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Notable details
- Dusky sharks have one of the longest gestation periods of any shark, lasting roughly 22 months.
- Females don't reach sexual maturity until around 20 years of age.
- They can grow to 14 feet (4.2 meters) and weigh over 750 lbs (340 kg).
- They're highly migratory, making seasonal movements of thousands of miles.
- They're listed as Endangered due to an extremely slow reproduction rate that can't keep pace with fishing pressure.
Where Dusky Shark are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Dusky 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 dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus) is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, occurring in tropical and warm-temperate continental seas worldwide. A generalist apex predator, the dusky shark can be found from the coast to the outer continental shelf and adjacent pelagic waters, and has been recorded from a depth of 400 m (1,300 ft). Populations migrate seasonally towards…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Dusky 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.