| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | CHONDRICHTHYES | LAMNIFORMES | ODONTASPIDIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Carcharias taurus | |||||||||
| Species Authority | Rafinesque, 1810 | |||||||||
Common Name/s:
|
||||||||||
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Vulnerable A1ab+2d ver 2.3 | |||
| Year Assessed: | 2000 | |||
| Assessor/s | Pollard, D. & Smith, A. | |||
| Evaluator/s: | Musick, J.A. & Fowler, S. (Shark Red List Authority) | |||
|
Justification: This large coastal species of shark has one of the lowest reproductive rates known among elasmobranchs, giving birth to one or two large young every two years. As a result, annual rates of population increase and ability to sustain fishing pressure are very low. Although the species is widespread, regional populations are isolated and no longer thought to mix. Catch rates of well-studied populations in Australia and South Africa have shown declines as a result of commercial fishing, spearfishing and beach meshing, requiring the introduction of management. Despite protection in Australia, population recovery is being very slow. |
||||
| History: |
|
|||
| Range Description: | Wide-ranging in warm-temperate and tropical coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and Indo-West Pacific Ocean; absent from the Central Pacific and Eastern Pacific Oceans. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Albania; Algeria; Argentina; Australia; Bahamas; Benin; Bermuda; Brazil; Cameroon; Cape Verde; China; Colombia; Cuba; Cyprus; Côte d'Ivoire; Djibouti; Egypt; Eritrea; France; Gambia; Ghana; Greece; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Israel; Italy; Japan; Jordan; Kenya; Korea, Republic of; Kuwait; Lebanon; Liberia; Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; Macao; Madagascar; Malta; Mauritania; Monaco; Montenegro; Morocco; Mozambique; Namibia; Nigeria; Oman; Philippines; Sao Tomé and Principe; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Somalia; South Africa; Spain (Canary Is.); Sudan; Syrian Arab Republic; Taiwan, Province of China; Tanzania, United Republic of; Togo; Tunisia; Turkey; United States; Uruguay; Viet Nam; Western Sahara; Yemen
|
| FAO Marine Fishing Areas: |
Native:
Atlantic – southeast; Atlantic – eastern central; Atlantic – western central; Atlantic – southwest; Atlantic – northwest; Indian Ocean – western; Indian Ocean – eastern; Mediterranean and Black Sea; Pacific – western central; Pacific – southwest; Pacific – northwest
|
| Population Trend: |
Unknown
|
| Systems: | Marine |
| Citation: | Pollard, D. & Smith, A. 2000. Carcharias taurus. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 23 November 2008. |
| Disclaimer: | To make use of this information, please check the Copyright and Data Disclaimer. |
| Feedback: | If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown on this page, please fill in the feedback form so that we can correct or extend the information provided |
