Carcharhinus brachyurus

Bronze Whaler

Taxonomy editing

©Mark McGrouther

©Robert Nyman: Bronze Whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus)

©Frederick Hermanus Van der Bank, University of Johannesburg

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Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

Class Elasmobranchii

Order Carcharhiniformes

Family Carcharhinidae

Genus Carcharhinus

Species Carcharhinus brachyurus

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Colours

Distinguishing features

It has a slender, streamlined body with a slightly arched profile just behind the head. The snout is rather long and pointed, with the nostrils preceded by low flaps of skin. The mouth has short, subtle furrows at the corners and contains 29–35 upper tooth rows and 29–33 lower tooth rows. The teeth are serrated with single narrow cusps; the upper teeth have a distinctive hooked shape and become more angled towards the corners of the jaw, while the lower teeth are upright. The upper teeth of adult males are longer, narrower, more curved, and more finely serrated than those of adult females and juveniles. The five pairs of gill slits are fairly long.

The pectoral fins are large, pointed, and falcate (sickle-shaped). The first dorsal fin is tall, with a pointed apex and a concave trailing margin; its origin lies about even with the tips of the pectoral fins. The second dorsal fin is small and low, and positioned about opposite to the anal fin. There is usually no ridge between the dorsal fins. The caudal fin has a well-developed lower lobe and a deep ventral notch near the tip of the upper lobe.

It is bronze to olive-gray above with a metallic sheen and sometimes a pink cast, darkening towards the fin tips and margins but not conspicuously so. The underside is white, which extends onto the flanks as a prominent band.

It can be distinguished from other large Carcharhinus species by its upper tooth shape, absent or weak interdorsal ridge, and lack of obvious fin markings. (Wikipedia)

Size

Depth range

Synonyms

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Distribution

©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution: Bronze Whaler (Carcharhinus brachyurus)

Distribution and habitat preferences

Coastal and shelf species, occasionally reported from oceanic areas close to the continental shelf. It readily enters shallow water, and individuals and aggregations are often sighted in shallow bays, the surf zone and in harbour channels during summer. It also occurs in brackish or freshwater in the lower reaches of large rivers and estuarine bays.

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