Carcharhinus

Carcharhinus; Temporal range: Lutetian-recent; ~42–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Gray reef shark (C. amblyrhynchos)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Division:	Selachii
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Family:	Carcharhinidae
Genus:	Carcharhinus; Blainville 1816
Type species
	Carcharias elegans; Quoy & Gaimard 1824
Synonyms
	Aprionodon Gill 1861; Eulamia Gill 1862; Galeolamna Owen 1853; Gillisqualus Whitley 1934; Hypoprion Müller & Henle 1838; Isogomphodon Gill 1862; Platypodon Gill 1862; Pterolamiops Springer 1951; Uranga Whitley 1943;

Carcharhinus is the type genus of the family Carcharhinidae. One of 10 genera in its family, it contains over half of the species therein. It contains 36-38 extant and eight extinct species to date, with likely more species yet to be described.^[3]

Species

Fossil teeth suggest that a majority of extant species in Carcharhinus already evolved by the Early Miocene, and these species start appearing in the fossil record starting from this time.^[4] Fossil Carcharhinus teeth tend to be highly species-specific in morphology, but are highly variable both within and among species, and even within the jaw, and thus require careful study to assign to their respective species.^[5]

Extant

The following species are placed in this genus:^[6]

Common name	Scientific name	Conservation status IUCN Red List	Length
Genus Carcharhinus Blainville 1816 - 36 extant species
Blacknose shark	Carcharhinus acronotus (Poey, 1860)	Endangered	1.3 m (4.3 ft)
Silvertip shark	Carcharhinus albimarginatus (Rüppell, 1837)	Vulnerable	2–2.5 m (6.6–8.2 ft) maximum 3 m (9.8 ft)
Bignose shark	Carcharhinus altimus (S. Springer, 1950)	Near threatened	2.7–2.8 m (8.9–9.2 ft) possibly 3 m (9.8 ft)
Graceful shark	Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides (Whitley, 1934)	Vulnerable	1.7 m (5.6 ft)
Grey reef shark	Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos (Bleeker, 1856)	Endangered	Mostly less than 1.9 m (6.2 ft) maximum 2.6 m (8.5 ft)
Pigeye shark	Carcharhinus amboinensis (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Vulnerable	1.9–2.5 m (6.2–8.2 ft) max. 2.8 m (9.2 ft)
Borneo shark	Carcharhinus borneensis (Bleeker, 1858)	Critically endangered	0.7 m (2.3 ft)
Copper shark	Carcharhinus brachyurus (Günther, 1870)	Vulnerable	3.3 m (11 ft)
Spinner shark	Carcharhinus brevipinna (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Vulnerable	2 m (6.6 ft) maximum 3 m (9.8 ft)
Nervous shark	Carcharhinus cautus (Whitley, 1945)	Least concern	1.0–1.3 m (3.3–4.3 ft) possibly 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Pacific smalltail shark	Carcharhinus cerdale C. H. Gilbert, 1898	Critically endangered	1.4 m (4.6 ft)
Australian blackspot shark	Carcharhinus coatesi (Whitley, 1939)	Least concern	0.8 m (2.6 ft)
Whitecheek shark	Carcharhinus dussumieri (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Endangered	1 m (3.3 ft)
Silky shark	Carcharhinus falciformis (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Vulnerable	2.5 m (8.2 ft) maximum 3.3 m (11 ft)
Creek whaler	Carcharhinus fitzroyensis (Whitley, 1943)	Least concern	1.0–1.3 m (3.3–4.3 ft) possibly 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Galapagos shark	Carcharhinus galapagensis (Snodgrass & Heller, 1905)	Least concern	3 m (9.8 ft) maximum 3.3 m (11 ft)
Pondicherry shark	Carcharhinus hemiodon (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Critically endangered	1 m (3.3 ft)
Human's whaler shark	Carcharhinus humani W. T. White & Weigmann, 2014	Data deficient	0.8 m (2.6 ft)
Finetooth shark	Carcharhinus isodon (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Near threatened	1.6–1.7 m (5.2–5.6 ft) maximum 1.9 m (6.2 ft)
Smoothtooth blacktip shark	Carcharhinus leiodon Garrick, 1985	Endangered	1.2 m (3.9 ft)
Bull shark	Carcharhinus leucas (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Vulnerable	2.3–2.4 m (7.5–7.9 ft) maximum 3.6–4.0 m (11.8–13.1 ft)
Blacktip shark	Carcharhinus limbatus (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Vulnerable	1.5 m (4.9 ft) maximum 2.6 m (8.5 ft)
Oceanic whitetip shark	Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey, 1861)	Critically endangered	3 m (9.8 ft)
Hardnose shark	Carcharhinus macloti (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Near threatened	1.1 m (3.6 ft)
Blacktip reef shark	^TCarcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)	Vulnerable	1.6 m (5.2 ft) maximum 1.8 m (5.9 ft)
Dusky shark	Carcharhinus obscurus (Lesueur, 1818)	Endangered	3.2 m (10 ft) maximum 4.0 m (13.1 ft)
Lost shark^[7]	Carcharhinus obsoletus White, Kyne, & Harris, 2019	Critically endangered (possibly extinct)	0.37–0.43 m (15–17 in) (juvenile length only)
Daggernose shark	Carcharhinus oxyrhynchus (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Critically endangered	1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Caribbean reef shark	Carcharhinus perezi (Poey, 1876)	Endangered	2–2.5 m (6.6–8.2 ft) maximum 3 m (9.8 ft)
Sandbar shark	Carcharhinus plumbeus (Nardo, 1827)	Endangered	2–2.5 m (6.6–8.2 ft)
Smalltail shark	Carcharhinus porosus (Ranzani, 1839)	Critically endangered	0.9–1.1 m (3.0–3.6 ft) maximum 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
Blackspot shark	Carcharhinus sealei (Pietschmann, 1913)	Vulnerable	1 m (3.3 ft)
Night shark	Carcharhinus signatus (Poey, 1868)	Endangered	2 m (6.6 ft) maximum 2.8 m (9.2 ft)
Spot-tail shark	Carcharhinus sorrah (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)	Near threatened	1.6 m (5.2 ft)
Australian blacktip shark	Carcharhinus tilstoni (Whitley, 1950)	Least concern	1.5–1.8 m (4.9–5.9 ft) maximum 2 m (6.6 ft)
Indonesian whaler shark	Carcharhinus tjutjot (Bleeker, 1852)	Vulnerable	0.9 m (3.0 ft)

^T Type species

In addition, Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes recognizes two species of uncertain validity:^[6]

Carcharhinus acarenatus Moreno & Hoyos, 1983 - Native to the western Mediterranean Sea and eastern Atlantic, around the coast of the Iberian Peninsula south to Morocco. Often treated as synonymous with the copper shark.
Carcharhinus japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1850 - Native to the northwestern Pacific Ocean. Often treated as synonymous with the sandbar shark.

Fossil

Age	Species	Authority	Formation	Location	Notes
Montehermosan	†C. egertoni	Agassiz 1843	Onzole	Ecuador	^[8]
Pliocene			Luanda	Angola
Pliocene			Villamagna	Italy
Huayquerian			Camacho	Uruguay
Late Miocene			Penedo	Portugal
Middle Miocene			Sekinobana	Japan
			Suso
			Hannoura
Langhian			Higashi-innai
Colhuehuapian			Pirabas	Brazil	^[9]
Burdigalian			Calvert	Maryland	^[8]
Early Miocene			Baripada	India	^[8]
Early Piacenzian	†C. priscus	Agassiz 1843	Oosterhout	Netherlands	^[10]
Montehermosan			Onzole	Ecuador
Pliocene			Luanda	Angola
Hemphillian			Curré	Costa Rica
Huayquerian			Pisco	Peru
Late Miocene			Penedo	Portugal
			Uscari	Costa Rica
			Fujina	Japan
			Takakubo	Japan
Badenian			Hrušky	Czech Republic
Badenian			Korytnica	Poland
Serravallian			Moulin de Débat	France
			Kurahara	Japan
			Wajimazaki
			Horimatsu
Middle Miocene			Sekinobana
			Suso
			Hannoura
			Maenami
Langhian			Higashi-innai
			Florianer Schichten	Austria
			Grund
			Weissenegg
Middle Miocene			Punta Judas	Costa Rica
Burdigalian			Dera Bugti	Pakistan
Burdigalian			Dam	Saudi Arabia
Colhuehuapian			Pirabas	Brazil	^[9]
Aquitanian			Trent	North Carolina	^[10]
Early Miocene			Filakovo	Slovakia	^[10]
Chasicoan	†C. caquetius	Carrillo Briceño et al. 2015	Urumaco	Venezuela	^[11]
Santacrucian	†C. ackermani	Santos & Travasos 1960	Cantaure	Venezuela	^[12]^[13]
Colhuehuapian	†C. ackermani	Santos & Travasos 1960	Pirabas	Brazil	^[9]
Langhian	†C. dicelmai	Collareta et al., 2022	Cantaure	Venezuela	^[14]
Burdigalian	†C. dicelmai	Collareta et al., 2022	Chilcatay	Peru	^[14]
Burdigalian	†C. gibbesi	Woodward 1889	Trent	North Carolina	^[2]^[15]
Chattian			Chandler Bridge	South Carolina
Priabonian			Clinchfield	Georgia
			Yazoo	Alabama Louisiana
			Jackson Gp.	Arkansas
Bartonian			Gosport Sand	Alabama
Bartonian			Moodys Branch	Louisiana Mississippi
Lutetian			Crockett	Texas
Priabonian	†C. underwoodi	Samonds et al, 2019	Mahajanga Basin	Madagascar	^[16]
Bartonian	†C. underwoodi	Samonds et al, 2019	Mahajanga Basin	Madagascar	^[16]
Rupelian	†C. balochenisis	Adnet et al. 2007	Chitarwata	Pakistan	^[17]^[18]
Rupelian	†C. perseus	Adnet et al. 2007	Chitarwata	Pakistan	^[17]^[19]
Rupelian	†C. perseus	Adnet et al. 2007	Minqar Tabaghbagh	Egypt	^[17]^[19]
Bartonian	†C. nigeriensis	White 1926	Ameki	Nigeria	^[20]^[21]
Bartonian	†C. tingae	Cicimurri & Ebersole, 2021	Cook Mountain	Louisiana	^[22]^[23]

References

↑ Carrier, J.C.; J.A. Musick & M.R. Heithaus (2004). Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives. CRC Press. p. 52. ISBN 0-8493-1514-X.
1 2 Cicimurri & Knight, 2009
↑ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Carcharhinus". FishBase. February 2011 version.
↑ Höltke, Olaf; Maxwell, Erin E.; Rasser, Michael W. (2024-02-26). "A Review of the Paleobiology of Some Neogene Sharks and the Fossil Records of Extant Shark Species". Diversity. 16 (3): 147. Bibcode:2024Diver..16..147H. doi:10.3390/d16030147. ISSN 1424-2818.
↑ Naylor, Gavin J. P.; Naylor, Gavin J. P.; Marcus, Leslie Floyd (1994). Identifying isolated shark teeth of the genus Carcharhinus to species: relevance for tracking phyletic change through the fossil record. Vol. 3109. New York, N.Y: American Museum of Natural History.
1 2 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Carcharhinus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
↑ Harris et al., 2019
1 2 Carcharhinus egertoni at Fossilworks.org
1 2 3 De Aráujo Távora et al., 2010
1 2 Carcharhinus priscus at Fossilworks.org
↑ Carrillo Briceño et al., 2015
↑ Aguilera & De Aguilera, 2001
↑ C. ackermani at Fossilworks.org
↑ Collareta, Alberto; Kindlimann, René; Baglioni, Alessio; Landini, Walter; Sarti, Giovanni; Altamirano, Alí; Urbina, Mario; Bianucci, Giovanni (2022-10-10). "Dental Morphology, Palaeoecology and Palaeobiogeographic Significance of a New Species of Requiem Shark (Genus Carcharhinus) from the Lower Miocene of Peru (East Pisco Basin, Chilcatay Formation)". Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 10 (10): 1466. Bibcode:2022JMSE...10.1466C. doi:10.3390/jmse10101466. hdl:11568/1160771. ISSN 2077-1312.
↑ C. gibbesi at Fossilworks.org
↑ Samonds, Karen E.; Andrianavalona, Tsiory H.; Wallett, Lane A.; Zalmout, Iyad S.; Ward, David J. (2019-02-27). "A middle - late Eocene neoselachian assemblage from nearshore marine deposits, Mahajanga Basin, northwestern Madagascar". PLOS ONE. 14 (2) e0211789. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211789. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6392239.
1 2 Adnet et al., 2007
↑ C. balochenisis at Fossilworks.org
↑ C. perseus at Fossilworks.org
↑ C. nigeriensis at Fossilworks.org
↑ Halstead & Middleton, 1974
↑ J. Cicimurri, David; A. Ebersole, Jun (2021-01-01). "New Paleogene elasmobranch (Chondrichthyes) records from the Gulf Coastal Plain of the United States, including a new species of Carcharhinus de Blainville, 1816". Cainozoic Research. 21 (2): 147–164. ISSN 1570-0399.
↑ "40 Million-Year-Old Fossil Shark Named in Honor of LSU Collection Manager Suyin Ting". www.lsu.edu. Retrieved 2025-11-07.

Bibliography

Adnet, S.; Antoine, P.-O.; Hassan Baqri, S.R.; Crochet, J.; Marivaux, L.; Welcomme, J.; Métais, G. (2007). "New tropical carcharhinids (chondrichthyes, Carcharhiniformes) from the late Eocene–early Oligocene of Balochistan, Pakistan: Paleoenvironmental and paleogeographic implications". Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. 30 (2): 303–323. Bibcode:2007JAESc..30..303A. doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2006.10.002. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
Aguilera, Ó; De Aguilera, D. (2001). "An exceptional coastal upwelling fish assemblage in the Caribbean Neogene". Journal of Paleontology. 75 (3): 732–742. Bibcode:2001JPal...75..732A. doi:10.1017/S0022336000039767. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
De Araújo Távora, Vladimir; Rodrigues dos Santos, André Augusto; Neto Araújo, Raphael (2010). "Localidades fossilíferas da Formação Pirabas (Mioceno Inferior)" (PDF). Boletim do Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi. 5 (2): 207–224. doi:10.46357/bcnaturais.v5i2.644. Retrieved 2017-08-15.
Carrillo Briceño, Jorge D.; Maxwell, Erin; Aguilera, Órangel A.; Sánchez, Rodolfo; Sánchez Villagra, Marcelo R. (2015). "Sawfishes and Other Elasmobranch Assemblages from the Mio-Pliocene of the South Caribbean (Urumaco Sequence, Northwestern Venezuela)". PLoS ONE. 10 (10) e0139230. Bibcode:2015PLoSO..1039230C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0139230. PMC 4619466. PMID 26488163.
Cicimurri, D.J.; Knight, J.L. (2009). "Late Oligocene sharks and rays from the Chandler Bridge Formation, Dorchester County, South Carolina, USA" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 54 (4): 627–647. doi:10.4202/app.2008.0077. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
Halstead, L.B.; Middleton, J.A. (1974). "New material of the archaeocete whale Pappocetus lugardi Andrews, from the middle Eocene of Nigeria". Journal of Mining and Geology. 8: 81–85.
Harris, Mark; Kyne, Peter M.; White, William T. (2019). "Lost before found: A new species of whaler shark Carcharhinus obsolerus from the Western Central Pacific known only from historic records". PLoS ONE. 14 (1) e0209387. Bibcode:2019PLoSO..1409387W. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0209387. PMC 6314596. PMID 30601867.

[1] Carrier, J.C.; J.A. Musick & M.R. Heithaus (2004). Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives. CRC Press. p. 52. ISBN 0-8493-1514-X.

[Cicimurri2009-2] 1 2 Cicimurri & Knight, 2009

[FishBaseCarcharhinus-3] Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Species in genus Carcharhinus". FishBase. February 2011 version.

[4] Höltke, Olaf; Maxwell, Erin E.; Rasser, Michael W. (2024-02-26). "A Review of the Paleobiology of Some Neogene Sharks and the Fossil Records of Extant Shark Species". Diversity. 16 (3): 147. Bibcode:2024Diver..16..147H. doi:10.3390/d16030147. ISSN 1424-2818.

[5] Naylor, Gavin J. P.; Naylor, Gavin J. P.; Marcus, Leslie Floyd (1994). Identifying isolated shark teeth of the genus Carcharhinus to species: relevance for tracking phyletic change through the fossil record. Vol. 3109. New York, N.Y: American Museum of Natural History.

[CofF2-6] 1 2 Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Carcharhinus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 7 September 2025.

[7] Harris et al., 2019

[FWEgertoni-8] 1 2 Carcharhinus egertoni at Fossilworks.org

[DeAraujo2010-9] 1 2 3 De Aráujo Távora et al., 2010

[FWCPriscus-10] 1 2 Carcharhinus priscus at Fossilworks.org

[11] Carrillo Briceño et al., 2015

[12] Aguilera & De Aguilera, 2001

[FWCAckermani-13] C. ackermani at Fossilworks.org

[14] Collareta, Alberto; Kindlimann, René; Baglioni, Alessio; Landini, Walter; Sarti, Giovanni; Altamirano, Alí; Urbina, Mario; Bianucci, Giovanni (2022-10-10). "Dental Morphology, Palaeoecology and Palaeobiogeographic Significance of a New Species of Requiem Shark (Genus Carcharhinus) from the Lower Miocene of Peru (East Pisco Basin, Chilcatay Formation)". Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. 10 (10): 1466. Bibcode:2022JMSE...10.1466C. doi:10.3390/jmse10101466. hdl:11568/1160771. ISSN 2077-1312.

[FWCGibbesi-15] C. gibbesi at Fossilworks.org

[16] Samonds, Karen E.; Andrianavalona, Tsiory H.; Wallett, Lane A.; Zalmout, Iyad S.; Ward, David J. (2019-02-27). "A middle - late Eocene neoselachian assemblage from nearshore marine deposits, Mahajanga Basin, northwestern Madagascar". PLOS ONE. 14 (2) e0211789. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0211789. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 6392239.

[Adnet2007-17] 1 2 Adnet et al., 2007

[FWCBalochenisis-18] C. balochenisis at Fossilworks.org

[FWCPerseus-19] C. perseus at Fossilworks.org

[FWCNigeriensis-20] C. nigeriensis at Fossilworks.org

[21] Halstead & Middleton, 1974

[22] J. Cicimurri, David; A. Ebersole, Jun (2021-01-01). "New Paleogene elasmobranch (Chondrichthyes) records from the Gulf Coastal Plain of the United States, including a new species of Carcharhinus de Blainville, 1816". Cainozoic Research. 21 (2): 147–164. ISSN 1570-0399.

[23] "40 Million-Year-Old Fossil Shark Named in Honor of LSU Collection Manager Suyin Ting". www.lsu.edu. Retrieved 2025-11-07.

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[15]

[16]

[17]

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[21]

[22]

[23]

v t e Extant requiem shark species
Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Chondrichthyes Subclass Elasmobranchii Subdivision Selachii Order Carcharhiniformes
Carcharhinus	Blacknose shark (C. acronotus) Silvertip shark (C. albimarginatus) Bignose shark (C. altimus) Graceful shark (C. amblyrhynchoides) Grey reef shark (C. amblyrhynchos) Pigeye shark (C. amboinensis) Borneo shark (C. borneensis) Copper shark (C. brachyurus) Spinner shark (C. brevipinna) Nervous shark (C. cautus) Pacific smalltail shark (C. cerdale) C. coatesi Whitecheek shark (C. dussumieri) Silky shark (C. falciformis) Creek whaler (C. fitzroyensis) Galapagos shark (C. galapagenisis) Pondicherry shark (C. hemiodon) Finetooth shark (C. isodon) Smoothtooth blacktip shark (C. leiodon) Bull shark (C. leucas) Blacktip shark (C. limbatus) Oceanic whitetip shark (C. longimanus) Hardnose shark (C. macloti) Blacktip reef shark (C. melanopterus) Dusky shark (C. obscurus) Daggernose shark (C. oxyrhynchus) Caribbean reef shark (C. perezi) Sandbar shark (C. plumbeus) Smalltail shark (C. porosus) Blackspot shark (C. sealei) Night shark (C. signatus) Spot-tail shark (C. sorrah) Australian blacktip shark (C. tilstoni) Indonesian whaler shark (C. tjutjot)
Galeocerdo	Tiger shark (G. cuvier)
Glyphis	Borneo river shark (G. fowlerae) Ganges shark (G. gangeticus) Northern river shark (G. garricki) Speartooth shark (G. glyphis) Irrawaddy river shark (G. siamensis)
Lamiopsis	Broadfin shark (L. temminckii) Borneo broadfin shark (L. tephrodes)
Loxodon	Sliteye shark (L. macrorhinus)
Nasolamia	Whitenose shark (N. velox)
Negaprion	Sicklefin lemon shark (N. acutidens) Lemon shark (N. brevirostris)
Prionace	Blue shark (P. glauca)
Rhizoprionodon	Milk shark (R. acutus) Brazilian sharpnose shark (R. lalandii) Pacific sharpnose shark (R. longurio) Grey sharpnose shark (R. oligolinx) Caribbean sharpnose shark (R. porosus) Australian sharpnose shark (R. taylori) Atlantic sharpnose shark (R. terraenovae)
Scoliodon	Spadenose shark (S. laticaudus) Pacific spadenose shark (S. macrorhynchos)
Triaenodon	Whitetip reef shark (T. obesus)

Authority control databases
National	Israel
Other	Yale LUX

Species

Extant

Fossil

See also

References

Bibliography