Sicklefin lemon shark
| Sicklefin lemon shark | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Order: | Carcharhiniformes |
| Family: | Carcharhinidae |
| Genus: | Negaprion |
| Species: | N. acutidens |
| Binomial name | |
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Negaprion acutidens (Rüppell, 1837) |
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| Range of the sicklefin lemon shark | |
| Synonyms | |
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Aprionodon acutidens queenslandicus Whitley, 1939 * ambiguous synonym |
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Aprionodon acutidens queenslandicus Whitley, 1939
Carcharias acutidens Rüppell, 1837
Carcharias forskalii* Klunzinger, 1871
Carcharias munzingeri Kossmann & Räuber, 1877
Eulamia odontaspis Fowler, 1908
Hemigaleops fosteri Schultz & Welander, 1953
Mystidens innominatus Whitley, 1944
Negaprion queenslandicus Whitley, 1939
Odontaspis madagascariensis Fourmanoir, 1961
* ambiguous synonym
The sicklefin lemon shark, or sharptooth lemon shark (Negaprion acutidens), is a species of requiem shark belonging to the family Carcharhinidae, widely distributed in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. It is closely related to the better-known lemon shark (N. brevirostris) of the Americas; the two species are almost identical in appearance, both being stout-bodied sharks with broad heads, two dorsal fins of nearly equal size, and a plain yellow-tinged coloration. As its common name suggests, the sicklefin lemon shark differs from its American counterpart in having more falcate (sickle-shaped) fins. This large species grows up to 3.8 m (12 ft) long. It generally inhabits water less than 92 m (302 ft) deep in a variety of habitats, from mangrove estuaries to coral reefs.
A slow-moving predator feeding mainly on bony fishes, the sicklefin lemon shark seldom travels long distances and many individuals can be found year-round at certain locations. Like other members of its family, this species is viviparous, with females giving birth to no more than 13 pups every other year, following a gestation period of 10–11 months. Although they are potentially dangerous to humans and known to respond vigorously to any provocation, under normal circumstances, sicklefin lemon sharks are cautious and tend to retreat if approached. The IUCN has assessed this species as Vulnerable; its low reproductive productivity and rate of movement limits the capacity of depleted stocks to recover. Off India and Southeast Asia, this species has been severely depleted or extirpated by unregulated exploitation for its meat, fins, and liver oil.
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