SandBar or Dusky Shark ?

[chomper]

More infomation I recieved from Apex Tagging Program Study on distinguishing characteristics between these 2 sharks.



Identification of Sandbar and Dusky Sharks

Cooperative Shark Tagging Program
U.S. Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Center
Narragansett, Rhode Island 12882
(401)782-3320

....The smaller sizes between three and four feet are most similar and almost impossible to tell apart in the water. At 5-6 feet the Dusky is a trimmer shark than the sandbar, with sickle shaped fins and a longer, lower caudal fin. The first dorsal fin on a dusky is further back and more rounded than on one of 3-4 feet length. The overall shape of the sandbar shark is less changeable with size, although the fins become slightly broader and the girth is proportionately larger than a dusky of the same size. The two sharks are easily seperable when viewed at 10X magnification. Scales on a dusky overlap and are shingle like, while those on a sandbar are seperated and more like cobblestones. Otherwise, sandbars keep the same husky shape from juvenile to adult. the maximum sizes reached by these species can also help to identify them. Sandbars rarely reach lengths of 8 feet or 200 lbs. Duskys mature at 8 feet and reach 10-12 feet and several hundred lbs. In the past few years sandbars have been more common than dusky sharks in tournaments and longline catches between Cape Cod and Cape Hatteras....

good luck..

[Skeeterbait]

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Galler...uskyshark.html

Best site I found on Dusky and Sandbar identification an a whole bunch of other natural history stuff. Check it out.

[Sam]

Great Info

[chomper]

Thats a pretty good read. Thanks Skeeterbait.

[ocsnapper]

good fine on that site I need all the help I can get on iding sharks all but doggies that is :(

[chomper]

Here is a link to some more shark and marine infomation. Great reads here too.
http://www.landbasedsharkfishing.com/html/research.html