# shark ID please



## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

My friend fished the pass Sunday and sent me this pic. He and I have seen a lot of black tips but not many this color.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

Looks like a very dark blacktip, but hard to ID from pic.

got any other pics. Cool looking shark.


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## Sponge (Jun 22, 2004)

Dude,

I need a better angle of the mouth and I need to see the anal fin. That is impressive dark color this shark has. 


Sponge


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## husky451ftr (Feb 17, 2007)

I agree with JR on this one. I saw a blacktip caught on the Galveston Fishing Pier last Wednesday that had a dark body like this one. Great photo though..looks like the shark is trying to bite you...lol


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## surfyak (Jan 13, 2006)

definately great white, definately...lol


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## crazlegs3 (May 9, 2007)

They are fairly rare(near threatened) and the dorsal fin on yours might disqualify it, but there is an outside chance it could be a spinner shark. ??? just a guess.


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

crazlegs3 said:


> They are fairly rare(near threatened) and the dorsal fin on yours might disqualify it, but there is an outside chance it could be a spinner shark. ??? just a guess.


several spinners caught each year up and down the coast of Texas. On the upper coast we always get some big spinners in july 7' range. Then at the first of november we get huge numbers of 5' spinners that move through in large schools.

But the head shape and dorsal in the pic look wrong for a spinner from what I can see. A spinner has a long sloping head, usually very easy to notice once you have caught a few. But hard to tell from the pic. I agree the dorsal is to large in the pic for a spinner.

Here is a pic of a spinner shark caught last July at surfside by Shark. The last few spinners I have caught have been from a kayak, and not good pics for ID.


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## Redfishr (Jul 26, 2004)

That is one fine lookin shark, what ever it is.......
Larry still has it, I see......


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## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

Redfishr said:


> That is one fine lookin shark, what ever it is.......
> Larry still has it, I see......


Yes he does, here are a few more pics he sent me of it.


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## Fish-a-mon (May 21, 2004)

BT, not a spinner, dorsal is to big. Great color


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## lunkerbrad (Feb 17, 2007)

when a fish is in clear water it gets sun burnd dirty water they get more light in color the spinner will be a little longer between the first dorsal and second. a black tip dorsal and second dorsale are closer. also ther will be black tips on all fins the bigger they get they will lose the black tips and only have a black tip on anall fin and pecs .and look at the head more pointed nose than blacktip go to csf sharkrodeo and look at pics in the standings.


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## Justin C (Dec 11, 2006)

not a spinner


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## Justin C (Dec 11, 2006)

crazlegs3 said:


> They are fairly rare(near threatened) and the dorsal fin on yours might disqualify it, but there is an outside chance it could be a spinner shark. ??? just a guess.


Also, I really don't think spinners are that rare. We catch a bunch of them off shore, about as many as we do blacktips and sand bars. Also, alot of them are caught off of PINS.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

a long shot ???

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=878


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## teke (Jun 19, 2006)

That shark is related to the dusky but it looks like it is a sandbar shark. here is a picture of a sandbar:










More information here:

http://www.coast-shark.com/ID/sharks/Sandbar/


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## Jolly Roger (May 21, 2004)

With the extra pics I can tell it is a blacktip, just dark colored. Great catch, and the mating scares show up good on one that dark.


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## CAPSIZED (Aug 10, 2004)

We were pretty sure it was a black tip but the color was unusual so I thought you guys might be interested in it. Also I agree with lunkerbrad that it might be due to the water clarity. It was very clear that day. I saw a discovery show on sharks that showed small hammerheads turning very dark becuase they were in shallow clear water exposed to the sun.



Jolly Roger said:


> With the extra pics I can tell it is a blacktip, just dark colored. Great catch, and the mating scares show up good on one that dark.


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## CypressTexas (Jan 2, 2005)

nice blacktip :cheers:


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## Steelersfan (May 21, 2004)

*..*



lunkerbrad said:


> when a fish is in clear water it gets sun burnd dirty water they get more light in color the spinner will be a little longer between the first dorsal and second. a black tip dorsal and second dorsale are closer. also ther will be black tips on all fins the bigger they get they will lose the black tips and only have a black tip on anall fin and pecs .and look at the head more pointed nose than blacktip go to csf sharkrodeo and look at pics in the standings.


Spinners have a blacktip on the anal fin, usually but blacktips do not. Seems backwards but true.


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## gundoctor (May 20, 2004)

The easiest way to be sure, is to look at the teeth in the lower jaw.
A BT has finely serrated lower jaw teeth and a spinner's lower jaw teeth have a smooth edge
Just make sure you don't get bit, while checking out the teeth.

The color of the tips of fins varies too much to be a positive ID indicator. That includes the color of the tip of the anal fin.

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/Blacktip/Blacktipshark.html

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/spinnershark/spinnershark.html


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