Pigeye shark

What it is

The pigeye shark is a robust requiem shark with a short, blunt snout and small eyes. Its body is grey above and white below, often showing a faint pale band on the flanks. The first dorsal fin is large and triangular, while the second is much smaller. Adults typically measure between 1.9 and 2.5 metres, though some reach 2.8 metres. It closely resembles the bull shark but has fewer vertebrae and different fin proportions. This species lives in warm coastal waters and prefers environments with soft, muddy bottoms.

Where it lives

This shark inhabits tropical and subtropical waters across Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. In the Atlantic, it ranges from Cape Verde to Namibia, with a rare sighting in the Mediterranean. It is found throughout the Indian Ocean, from South Africa to Australia, and extends into the Pacific as far as China and Micronesia. It stays in coastal zones down to 150 metres depth. Unlike the bull shark, it avoids fresh water but may enter estuaries. Juveniles often remain in localised bays, such as Cleveland Bay in Australia, moving with tides and seasons.

How it lives

An apex predator, the pigeye shark hunts mainly near the sea floor. Its diet includes bony fishes like croakers and flatfish, as well as other sharks, rays, and crustaceans. In South Africa, it consumes more elasmobranchs than elsewhere. It is largely solitary but may gather in small groups. Young sharks face predation from larger species but have low natural mortality rates in nursery areas. Genetic studies show populations in northern Australia are separated by historical land bridges, indicating limited long-distance migration for this species.

Breeding and life cycle

The species is viviparous, meaning embryos develop inside the mother and receive nutrients via a placental connection. Gestation lasts nine months in northern Australia and twelve months off South Africa. Litters contain three to thirteen pups, depending on the region. Newborns are about 60 to 80 centimetres long. Females give birth in sheltered inshore bays, which serve as nurseries for the first few years. Males mature at around 12 years and females at 13. The sharks grow slowly and can live for at least three decades.

Fish and people

Fisheries catch this shark infrequently using gillnets and longlines, valuing its meat and fins. It is potentially dangerous due to its size and teeth. In 2020, a diver in Queensland survived a bite that severed an artery. The shark can accumulate ciguatera toxins from its prey. In 1993, eating pigeye shark meat in Madagascar caused a mass poisoning event with many fatalities. Beach protection nets in South Africa also catch small numbers of these sharks, raising concerns about local population declines.

Status and threats

The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the pigeye shark as vulnerable globally. Its rarity makes it susceptible to overfishing. In the southwestern Indian Ocean, it is considered near threatened. Data from beach nets in South Africa show a decrease in catch rates and average size between 1978 and 1998, suggesting local depletion. Habitat loss and fishing pressure remain the primary threats to this slow-growing species.

Questions people ask about Pigeye shark

Good reading and sources

• Fatal attack revives debate over controversial shark nets in AustraliaBBC, Article

• Pigeye shark on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data