Facts about Spinner Shark
- 09
Spinner sharks exhibit a preference for hunting at dawn and dusk, when low light conditions coincide with peak activity periods for their small fish prey species.
- 08
Females of this species are ovoviviparous with a bilobed uterus, producing litters that can contain up to 15 pups with nutritional support from a yolk sac placenta during the 12-month gestation period.
- 07
Gray coloration on the dorsal side and white on the ventral side provides spinner sharks with countershading camouflage in open ocean environments.
- 06
Coastal waters from North Carolina to Brazil support significant spinner shark populations, with nursery grounds identified in estuaries and shallow bays where juveniles develop before migrating offshore.
- 05
Spinner sharks possess a distinctive snout that is notably shorter and more rounded compared to related Carcharhinus species, contributing to their unique facial profile.
- 04
Viviparous reproduction in spinner sharks involves yolk sac placental connections, allowing females to birth 3 to 15 live pups per litter after a gestation period of approximately 12 months.
- 03
Carcharhinus brevipinna has a diet consisting primarily of small fish species like sardines and anchovies, with stomach analyses revealing up to 90 percent fish remains in some specimens.
- 02
Spinning jumps at the water surface allow spinner sharks to escape predators and possibly communicate, with individuals reaching heights of up to 6 feet above the ocean.
- 01
The spinner shark reaches maximum lengths of approximately 55 inches and inhabits warm coastal waters along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.