Shark
Dusky Shark
Carcharhinus obscurus
A large, heavy-bodied requiem shark of the open coast, slow-growing and long-lived, seen cruising the deeper reef edges.
Also known as dusky, ridgeback
- Typical size
- Commonly 3-4 m
- Habitat
- Open coast and deeper reef edges
- Depth
- Surface to ~400 m
The dusky is a big, robust requiem shark that ranges from the surf zone out over the continental shelf. On the dive-spot lists it usually turns up as a deeper-water visitor along the reef edges rather than a shallow-gully fish.
It is among the slowest-growing and latest-maturing of all sharks - some individuals take twenty years to reach breeding age - so populations are extremely vulnerable to fishing pressure. Juveniles use inshore nursery areas along the South African coast before moving offshore as adults.