Spinner shark
📖 Overview
Found on the continental and insular shelves from close inshore to offshore . Makes vertical spinning leaps out of the water as a feeding technique in which the sharks spins through a school of small fish with an open mouth and then breaks the surface . Feeds mainly on pelagic bony fishes, also small sharks, cuttlefish, squids, and octopi . Viviparous . Forms schools . Highly migratory off Florida and Louisiana and in the Gulf of Mexico . Regularly caught in fisheries where found . Utilized fresh and dried salted for human consumption . Fins probably used in the oriental shark fin trade, and livers for vitamin oil production .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. A slender shark with a long, narrow, pointed snout, long gill slits and small, narrow-cusped teeth; first dorsal fin small; no interdorsal ridge; labial furrows longer than in any other grey shark . Grey above, white below, with a conspicuous white band on sides; second dorsal, anal, undersides of pectorals and lower caudal-fin lobe black or dark grey-tipped in subadults and adults, but unmarked or nearly so in small individuals .: fusiform / normal.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Spinner shark is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Spinner shark is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Viviparous, with a yolk-sac placenta; bears up to 20 young ; 3-15 pups. Size at birth 60 to 80 cm . Distinct pairing with embrace .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; reef-associated; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 100 m , usually 0 - ? m . Subtropical; 40°N - 38°S, 100°W - 155°E West Pacific, warm temperate and tropical (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
pelagic bony fishes, also small sharks, cuttlefish, squids, and octopi (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Spinner shark is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 23.1 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 154 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Spinner shark has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aprion brevipinna | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Aprionodon brevipenna | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Aprionodon brevipinna | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Aprionodon caparti | Poll | 1951 | Synonym |
| Carcharhinus brevipina | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Carcharhinus brevipinnis | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Carcharhinus johnsoni | Smith | 1951 | Synonym |
| Carcharhinus maculipinnis | Poey | 1865 | Synonym |
| Carcharias brevipinna | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Carcharinus brevipinna | Müller & Henle | 1839 | Synonym |
| Carcharinus johnsoni | Smith | 1951 | Synonym |
| Galeolomna fowleri | Whitley | 1944 | Synonym |
| Isogomphodon maculipinnis | Poey | 1865 | Synonym |
| Longmania calamaria | Whitley | 1944 | Synonym |
| Prionidon brevipinna | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Squalus brevipinna | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Uranga nasuta | Whitley | 1943 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 295 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Spinner shark ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.