Author: (Bibron, 1841)
Carcharhinus falciformis (Bibron, 1841)
Status in World Register of Marine Species:
Accepted name: Carcharhinus falciformis (Müller and Henle, 1839) (updated 2009-06-25)
Diagnosis: snout narrowly rounded, moderately long. Upper teeth triangular, serrate, anterior teeth with heavy notches present on cusp near base; lower teeth with narrow cusp, serrate on tip. First dorsal fin relatively low, rounded, its origin behind free tip of pectoral fins; pectoral fins long and falcate; some with dusky tips on undersides; inter-dorsal ridge present; second dorsal fin low, its free tip greater than twice the fin height. Colour: grey to bronze or grey-blue above, white below; tips of pectorals and pelvics sometimes dusky below. Size: to 350 cm TL, common to 250 cm TL.
Habitat: open pelagic waters outside continental shelf, juveniles sometimes entering coastal waters where shelf is narrow; occurs usually near surface, but found at depths of 500 m. Food: primarily fish and squid. Reproduction: viviparous, 2-14 young. Gestation period unknown, 1 possibly 12 or 16 months; pups born at 75-90 cm TL, apparently in pelagic waters.
Distribution: reported from coast of Spain. Elsewhere, more common to south of area; occurs generally in all warm seas.
Complementary iconography. Bigelow and Schroeder, 1948, fig. 56-57 | Poll, 1951, fig. 21-22 | Garrick et al., 1964, fig. 5.
Eggs, larvae and young stages. Bigelow and Schroeder, 1948: 332.