Volume 65
Diet of Atlantic Sharpnose Shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, from the North-central Gulf of Mexico: Initial Findings
Authors
Higgs, J.M., E.R. Hoffmayer, J.M. Hendon, and C.M. Butler Download PDF Open PDF in BrowserOther Information
Date: November, 2012
Pages: 156 - 158
Event: Proceedings of the Sixty-Fifth Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute
City: Santa Marta
Country: Colombia
Abstract
The Atlantic sharpnose shark, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, is a relatively small species of shark that inhabits the western Atlantic Ocean from Canada to Mexico (Compagno 1984) and is the most abundant shark species in the coastal waters of the northcentral Gulf of Mexico (ncGOM) (Parsons and Hoffmayer 2005, Hoffmayer et al. 2006, Parsons and Hoffmayer 2007). Atlantic sharpnose sharks can be caught with light fishing tackle and are frequently targeted by ncGOM recreational fishermen (Castro 2011). Atlantic sharpnose, like many shark species, are an upper trophic level predatory fish and play a key role in ecosystem dynamics and aid in maintaining the overall balance of the marine community (Cortés 1999). Understanding the diet of the Atlantic sharpnose shark can provide insight into the predator-prey interactions this species has in nearshore fish communities in the ncGOM.