Species profile
Spinner Shark
Carcharhinus brevipinna
At a glance
Spinner Shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) is an IUCN Vulnerable shark or ray regulated in 5 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
Bag limits are uniform at 1 per angler across the 5 regulating jurisdictions.
Across 4 jurisdictions with stated minimum sizes, the average minimum is 54.0 in (≈ 4 ft 6 in).
Confirmed by 140 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Texas, North Carolina, and Florida the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Listed under CITES — verify protected-species rules with the issuing agency before retaining or handling.
Notable details
- Named for its habit of spinning on its axis while leaping out of the water during feeding.
- They typically grow up to 9 feet long and weigh around 123 pounds.
- Spinner sharks attack baitfish schools by charging from below at high speed.
- Females give birth to 3–15 pups after a 12–15 month gestation period.
- They inhabit warm coastal waters and are especially common in the Gulf of Mexico.
Where Spinner Shark are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Spinner Shark
Protected status
- 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 spinner shark is a type of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, named for the spinning leaps it makes as a part of its feeding strategy. This species occurs in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide, except for in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is found from coastal to offshore habitats to a depth of 100 m (330 ft), though it prefers shallow water. The spinner shark resembles a…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Spinner Shark article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other sharks & rays on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.