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The bignose shark or Knopp's shark, Carcharhinus altimus, is a species of requiem shark
Requiem shark

The requiem sharks refer to all members of the Carcharhinidae family that includes a family of migratory, live-bearing sharks of warm seas, sometimes also found in brackish or fresh water, such as the tiger shark, blue shark, bull shark, and milk shark....
, family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Carcharhinidae, found worldwide between the latitude
Latitude

Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps ....
s of 40° N
40th parallel north

The 40th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 40 degree true north of the Earth equator.Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 40? north passes through:...
 and 34° S
34th parallel south

The 34th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 34 degree south of the Earth equator.Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 34? south passes through:...
. They are common in deep waters near the edges of the continental shelves
Continental shelf

The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain, and was part of the continent during the glacial periods, but is undersea during Ice age such as the current epoch by relatively shallow seas and Bay....
 and feed on bony fishes, elasmobranchs, and cephalopod
Cephalopod

The cephalopods are the mollusc class Cephalopoda characterized by bilateral symmetry, a prominent head, and a modification of the mollusk foot, a muscular hydrostat, into the form of cephalopod arms or tentacles....
s. Though large and thus potentially dangerous, its preference for deep water means that this shark is rarely encountered by humans.

distribution of the bignose shark is circumglobal in tropical
Tropics

The Tropics, seated in the equatorial regions of the world, are limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23?26' N latitude, and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at 23?26' S latitude....
 and subtropical
Subtropics

For information on the American literary journal, see Subtropics The subtropics are the Geographical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropics zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitude 23.5? north and south....
 waters.






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The bignose shark or Knopp's shark, Carcharhinus altimus, is a species of requiem shark
Requiem shark

The requiem sharks refer to all members of the Carcharhinidae family that includes a family of migratory, live-bearing sharks of warm seas, sometimes also found in brackish or fresh water, such as the tiger shark, blue shark, bull shark, and milk shark....
, family
Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is a taxonomic rank. Exact details of formal nomenclature depend on the Nomenclature Codes which applies....
 Carcharhinidae, found worldwide between the latitude
Latitude

Latitude, usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. Lines of Latitude are the horizontal lines shown running east-to-west on maps ....
s of 40° N
40th parallel north

The 40th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 40 degree true north of the Earth equator.Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 40? north passes through:...
 and 34° S
34th parallel south

The 34th parallel south is a circle of latitude that is 34 degree south of the Earth equator.Starting at the Prime Meridian and heading eastwards, the parallel 34? south passes through:...
. They are common in deep waters near the edges of the continental shelves
Continental shelf

The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain, and was part of the continent during the glacial periods, but is undersea during Ice age such as the current epoch by relatively shallow seas and Bay....
 and feed on bony fishes, elasmobranchs, and cephalopod
Cephalopod

The cephalopods are the mollusc class Cephalopoda characterized by bilateral symmetry, a prominent head, and a modification of the mollusk foot, a muscular hydrostat, into the form of cephalopod arms or tentacles....
s. Though large and thus potentially dangerous, its preference for deep water means that this shark is rarely encountered by humans.

Distribution and habitat

The distribution of the bignose shark is circumglobal in tropical
Tropics

The Tropics, seated in the equatorial regions of the world, are limited in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the northern hemisphere at approximately 23?26' N latitude, and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere at 23?26' S latitude....
 and subtropical
Subtropics

For information on the American literary journal, see Subtropics The subtropics are the Geographical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropics zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, at latitude 23.5? north and south....
 waters. In the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
, it occurs from Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
 to Venezuela
Venezuela

Venezuela , officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a country on the northern coast of South America.The country comprises a continental mainland and numerous islands located off the Venezuelan coastline in the Caribbean Sea....
 and Senegal
Senegal

Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the S?n?gal River in West Africa. Senegal is bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Mauritania to the north, Mali to the east, and Guinea and Guinea-Bissau to the south....
 to Ghana
Ghana

The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders C?te d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south....
, including the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea or Ocean off the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia....
. In the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by Asia ; on the west by Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and Australia; and on the south by the Southern Ocean ....
, it has been reported from the Red Sea
Red Sea

The Red Sea is a salt water inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb sound and the Gulf of Aden....
, Mozambique
Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest....
, South Africa
South Africa

The Republic of South Africa, also known by Official names of South Africa, is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa....
, Madagascar
Madagascar

Madagascar, or Republic of Madagascar , is an island nation in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa. The main island, also called Madagascar, is the List of islands by area, and is home to 5% of the world's plant and animal species, of which more than 80% are Endemism to Madagascar....
, and India
India

India, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, the List of countries by population country, and the most populous liberal democracy in the world....
. In the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "peaceful sea", bestowed upon it by the Portugal explorer Ferdinand Magellan....
, it is known from China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
, Hawaii
Hawaii

File:Pahoehoe and Aa flows at Hawaii.jpgThe State of Hawaii is a U.S. state in the United States, located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia....
, and from the Gulf of California
Gulf of California

The Gulf of California is a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexico mainland. It is bordered by the States of Mexico of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora, and Sinaloa....
 to Ecuador
Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the , literally, "Republic of the equator") is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, by Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west....
. This species is usually found in offshore, benthic habitat near the edge of the continental shelf
Continental shelf

The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain, and was part of the continent during the glacial periods, but is undersea during Ice age such as the current epoch by relatively shallow seas and Bay....
 and upper continental slope, between 90 and 430 meters (295-1,410 ft). Young individuals may be found in shallower waters, up to a depth of 25 meters (82 ft).

Description

The bignose shark is a large, fairly slender-bodied species with a long, broad, and bluntly rounded snout, large circular eyes, and well-developed triangular anterior nasal flaps. It resembles the night shark
Night shark

The night shark, Carcharhinus signatus, is a requiem shark of the family Carcharhinidae, found in subtropical western Atlantic Ocean waters between latitudes 43rd parallel north and 43rd parallel south, from the surface to 600 m....
 (Carcharhinus signatus) in appearance, but lacks green eyes and the long free rear tip on the second dorsal fin
Dorsal fin

A wikt:dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of some fish, whales, dolphins, and porpoises, as well as the ichthyosaurs. Its main purpose is to stabilize the animal against rolling and assist in sudden turns....
. There are 14-16 teeth on each side of the jaw
Jaw

The jaw is either of the two opposable structures forming, or near the entrance to the mouth.The term jaws is also broadly applied to the whole of the structures constituting the vault of the mouth and serving to open and close it and is part of the body plan of most animals....
, with one or two small symphysial teeth. The upper teeth are large and broadly triangular with serrated margins, while the lower teeth are narrow with finely serrated margins. There is a high and prominent interdorsal ridge. The first dorsal fin is high with a bluntly pointed tip, and originates above or behind the axils of the pectoral fins. The pectoral fins are long and nearly straight.

The coloration is light gray above, sometimes with a bronze sheen, and white below with an inconspicuous white band on the sides. The tips of all fins except for the pelvic fins are dusky, and the inner corners of the pectoral fins are blackish. Some fresh specimens have a green sheen along the gills. This species may reach a length of 3 meters (9.8 ft) and a weight of 168 kg (370 lbs).

Biology and ecology

At least some bignose sharks conduct a diel vertical migration
Diel vertical migration

Diel vertical migration refers to a pattern of movement that some organisms living in the ocean's photic zone undertake each day. The organisms that exhibit this pattern of behaviour range in size from microscopic plankton through to much larger nekton such as fish....
 from depths of 90-500 meters (295-1,640 ft) during the day upwards to the pelagic zone
Pelagic zone

Any water in the sea that is not close to the bottom is in the pelagic zone. The word pelagic comes from the Greek language p??a??? or p?lagos, which means open sea....
 at night. Its diet includes bony fishes such as lizardfishes, croakers, sole
Sole

Sole may refer to:* Sole , the bottom of the foot* Sole , the bottom supporting member of the shoe* Sole , several species and groups of flatfishes:...
s, and batfish
Batfish

Batfish is a name given to several fishes:* Malthe vespertilio of the Atlantic coast.* The flying gurnard of the Atlantic .* The California batfish or sting ray ....
es, other elasmobranchs such as dogfish
Dogfish

Dogfish is a name applied to a number of small sharks found in the northeast Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea oceans. It is applied especially to those in the three Family Scyliorhinidae, Dalatiidae, and Squalidae....
es, catshark
Catshark

The cat sharks or catsharks are a family of sharks, with over 110 species recorded. Paradoxically perhaps, while the group is called the cat shark family, many species are commonly called dogfish....
s, and stingray
Stingray

The stingrays are a family, Dasyatidae of batoidea, cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They are common in coastal tropical marine waters throughout the world, and several species are known to enter fresh water....
s, and cephalopod
Cephalopod

The cephalopods are the mollusc class Cephalopoda characterized by bilateral symmetry, a prominent head, and a modification of the mollusk foot, a muscular hydrostat, into the form of cephalopod arms or tentacles....
s.

Reproduction is viviparous, with the developing embryo
Embryo

An embryo is a multicellular organism ploidy eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, Egg , or germination....
s sustained by yolk sac
Yolk sac

The yolk sac is a membranous sac attached to an embryo, providing early nourishment in the form of yolk in bony fishes, sharks, reptiles, birds, and primitive mammals....
 placenta
Placenta

The placenta or afterbirth is a highly vascularized ephemeral organ present in Placentalia vertebrates that connects the developing fetal tissues to the uterine wall....
s. Parturition occurs from August to September in the Mediterranean and from September to October off Madagascar. The litter size ranges from 3 to 11 pups, each measuring 70-90 cm (2.3-3 ft) long. Males mature at 2.2 m (7.1 ft) long and females at 2.3-2.8 m (7.4-9.3 ft).

Relationship to humans

Bignose sharks pose little danger to humans due to their deepwater habitat. This species is caught in the Caribbean
Caribbean

The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and Northern America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America....
 region on deep-set longline
Longline

Longline can mean:-* Longline fishing* Long line * Long line * Aerial crane, i.e. using a helicopter to lift a heavy object...
s, particularly around Cuba
Cuba

The Republic of Cuba is a country in the Caribbean. It consists of the island of Cuba , the island of Isla de la Juventud, and several adjacent small islands....
. It is also taken by bottom trawls in the western Indian Ocean and probably by hook-and-line or gillnet
Gillnet

Gillnetting is a common fishing method used by fishing industry fishermen of all the oceans and in some freshwater and estuary areas. Because gillnets can be so effective their use is closely monitored and regulated by fisheries management and enforcement agencies....
 off India. It is utilized for fishmeal, liver oil
Shark liver oil

Shark liver oil is obtained from sharks that are caught for food purposes and are living in cold, deep oceans. The liver oil from sharks has been used by fishermen for centuries as a folk remedy for general health....
, and shagreen
Shagreen

Shagreen is a type of roughened untanned leather, formerly made from a horse's back, or that of an onager , and typically dyed green. Shagreen is now commonly made of the skins of sharks and Batoidea....
. The bignose shark is protected from commercial shark fisheries
Commercial fishing

File:Greetsiel 33 Poseidon 01.jpgCommercial fishing, also known as industrial fishing, is the activity of capturing fish and other seafood for Commerce profit, mostly from Wild fisheries of the world....
 in the waters of the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
. The World Conservation Union
World Conservation Union

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to natural resource Conservation ethic....
 assessed this species as Data Deficient
Data Deficient

Data Deficient is a category applied by the IUCN to a species when the available information is not sufficient for a proper assessment of conservation status to be made....
, except in Australia
Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
 where it is not commercially exploited and assessed as of Least Concern
Least Concern

Least Concern is an World Conservation Union category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category....
.