Pacific Smalltail Shark
CR

Pacific Smalltail Shark

Carcharhinus cerdale

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_smalltail_shark

Overview

The Pacific smalltail shark is a species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae. It was described in 1898, but later mistakenly merged with Carcharhinus porosus. The mistake was corrected in 2011.

The Pacific smalltail shark faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive artisanal and commercial fishing pressure throughout its limited range in the Eastern Pacific. As a coastal species with slow reproductive rates typical of sharks, it is particularly vulnerable to overexploitation from gillnet fisheries and targeted fishing for its fins and meat. Habitat degradation in nearshore waters from coastal development and pollution further compounds the species' decline.

Threat summary

Habitat

The Pacific smalltail shark inhabits shallow coastal waters, estuaries, and nearshore marine environments along the Eastern Pacific coast. It typically occurs in waters less than 36 meters deep, preferring sandy and muddy bottoms in bays and coastal lagoons.

Marine coastal/supratidal· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryCompliance and enforcement

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Pacific Smalltail Shark classified as Critically Endangered?
Pacific Smalltail Shark is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Pacific smalltail shark faces severe population decline primarily due to intensive artisanal and commercial fishing pressure throughout its limited range in the Eastern Pacific. As a coastal species with slow reproductive rates typical of sharks, it is particularly vulnerable to overexploitation from gillnet fisheries and targeted fishing for its fins and meat. Habitat degradation in nearshore waters from coastal development and pollution further compounds the species' decline.
Where does Pacific Smalltail Shark live?
Pacific Smalltail Shark occurs in Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Mexico (plus 3 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Pacific Smalltail Shark?
The main threats to Pacific Smalltail Shark are 5.4, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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