Spinner Shark

Carcharhinus brevipinna is a slender, fast-swimming requiem shark named for its distinctive spinning leaps out of the water, performed while lunging vertically through schools of prey. It reaches lengths of around 2 to 3 meters and is identified by its long snout, black-tipped fins, and a black marking on its second dorsal fin. It feeds primarily on small schooling fish such as sardines, herring, and anchovies, as well as squid and cuttlefish, making it an important mid-to-upper trophic level predator that helps regulate populations of forage fish in coastal ecosystems.

The species inhabits warm temperate and tropical waters worldwide, favoring coastal and shelf environments, including surf zones, bays, and estuarine areas, as well as offshore oceanic waters. It has a broad distribution spanning the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, with confirmed populations across North America, South America, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania.

The primary threat to this species is fishing, both targeted and incidental. It is caught in commercial and artisanal fisheries for its meat and fins, and frequently taken as bycatch in gillnet and longline operations targeting other species. Its coastal habitat preference increases exposure to intensive fishing pressure throughout much of its range.

Conservation measures include regional fisheries management regulations, catch limits, and finning bans in some jurisdictions, along with its listing under international agreements that regulate trade in shark products. However, enforcement and monitoring remain inconsistent across the many countries where it occurs.

Given ongoing fishing pressure across its range and a documented decreasing population trend, the species' conservation outlook remains concerning, with continued declines likely absent stronger, more consistently enforced management measures.