Daggernose shark

Daggernose shark
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Subdivision:	Selachimorpha
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Family:	Carcharhinidae
Genus:	Isogomphodon T. N. Gill, 1862
Species:	I. oxyrhynchus
Binomial name
Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus (J. P. Müller & Henle, 1839)
Range of the daggernose shark
Synonyms
Carcharias oxyrhynchus Müller & Henle, 1839

The daggernose shark (Isogomphodon oxyrhynchus) is a little-known species of requiem shark, in the family Carcharhinidae, and the only extant member of its genus. It inhabits shallow tropical waters off northeastern South America, from Trinidad to northern Brazil, favoring muddy habitats such as mangroves, estuaries, and river mouths, though it is intolerant of fresh water. A relatively small shark typically reaching 1.5 m (4.9 ft) in length, the daggernose shark is unmistakable for its elongated, flattened, and pointed snout, tiny eyes, and large paddle-shaped pectoral fins.

Daggernose sharks are predators of small schooling fishes. Its reproduction is viviparous, with females give birth to 2–8 pups every other year during the rainy season; this species is capable of shifting the timing of its reproductive cycle by several months in response to the environment. Harmless to humans, the daggernose shark is caught for food and as bycatch in artisanal and commercial fisheries. Limited in range and slow-reproducing, it has been assessed as Critically Endangered by International Union for Conservation of Nature in light of a steep population decline in recent years. The current population is believed to be extremely low, with no more than 250 individuals believed to be in existence as of 2023.^[2] Indeed, it may even be in reproductive collapse, in which case it will likely become extinct in the near future.^[3]