Common names: shark (English), tiburón (Espanol)
 
Carcharhinus altimus (Springer, 1950)


Bignose shark


Heavy body; snout long, broad, and slightly pointed, its length in front of the mouth 7.5-10.0% of TL; distance from nostrils to mouth < 2.4x mouth width; flaps on front of nostrils large and triangular; upper teeth are long, serrated, slightly oblique triangles, those on sides near front very high, lower teeth with narrow points; prominent ridge present on back between dorsal fins; 1st  dorsal fin high, its origin between end of the pectoral base and halfway along inner pectoral margin; height of first dorsal 8.3-11.9% of TL; apex of first dorsal bluntly pointed; origin of second dorsal fin about above origin of anal fin; pectoral fin long, relatively straight.


Grey, becoming whitish below; distal ends of all fins except pelvics dusky, with pigment on tips of pectorals darker on underside of fins.


Reaches ~ 300 cm; size at birth 65-80 cm.

Habitat: offshore, bottom living, juveniles shallow water.

Depth: 25-500 m, usually below 90 m.

Circumglobal distribution in temperate and tropical seas; Baja and the Gulf of California to central Mexico, Costa Rica to Peru, the Galapagos and Revillagigedos.