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Sharks of Onslow County
Sandbar Shark

Taxonomy & Biology

Taxonomy

Common Name(s): Sandbar shark, brown shark, queriman shark, thickskin shark

Scientific Name: Carcharias plumbeus

Classification

  • Kingdom:  Animalia
  • Subkingdom: Bilateria
  • Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia
  • Phylum: Chordata
  • Subphylum: Vertebrata
  • Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
  • Class: Chondrichthyes
  • Subclass: Elasmobranchii
  • Superorder: Euselachii
  • Order: Carcharhiniformes
  • Family: Carcharhinidae
  • Genus: Carcharhinus
  • Species: plumbeus
Winter salt marsh with exposed snow-covered flats and animal tracks leading through Spartina grass along a coastal creek in North Carolina.

Winter at the Exposed Marsh

Angelique Mitchell, MPS February 7, 2026 No Comments
The surface that appears At low tide in winter the creek mouths behind Topsail Island widen into ground that is usually concealed, and the exposed marsh does not appear emptied…
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At low tide, a barnacle looks like stone. But each one began as a drifting speck—crossing currents, reading the chemistry of water, and making a single irreversible choice about where to live.

The Life of a Barnacle

Angelique Mitchell, MPS January 17, 2026 No Comments
A microscopic epic of drift, decision, and devotion On a winter walk along a pier in Surf City, the boards are bleached pale by sun and salt. Wind threads through…
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Estuarine marsh edge in Onslow County, North Carolina, showing open water, emergent marsh grasses, and the transition from subtidal habitat to higher marsh zones.

The Hidden City in the Grass

Angelique Mitchell, MPS January 10, 2026 No Comments
How seagrasses and marsh grasses—and the animals within them—build the marshes of Onslow County In Onslow County’s estuarine marshes, the best time to understand how the landscape works is when…
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Winter salt marsh along the North Carolina coast showing exposed creek-bank sediments where microscopic foraminifera preserve environmental history

Foraminifera: The Marsh’s Memory Keepers

Angelique Mitchell, MPS January 3, 2026 1 Comment
What microscopic shells along Topsail and Surf City tell us about ancient seas, living marshes, and the future coastline On a winter walk along the marsh edge in Topsail or…
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Biology

Population

Sandbar sharks are a coastal-pelagic species that inhabits temperate and tropical waters. They are considered the most abundant shark in the Western Atlantic. They tend to be bottom-dwellers that prefer continental shelves, oceanic banks and island terraces at depths between 60-200 feet deep and move deeper during migration (Knickle, 2025). They can be found at the mouths of bays and rivers, harbors, and estuaries in shallow turbid water. They prefer smooth subtrates and will avoid rough-bottom areas and coral reefs.

Sandbar sharks are a prohibited species for recreational harvest or possession in North Carolina (NOAA Fisheries, 2025). If they are caught, they must be released immediately, without removing from the water, and with minimal injury. Catching sharks recreationally in North Carolina is restricted to using rod and reel or handlines. Only a very small number of vessels in the United States are special permitted to fish, land, and sell sandbar sharks under the shark research fishery.

There are few studies about the sandbar shark.

Body Size

Size at maturity of male sandbar sharks is 71 inches total length; females are 72 inches total length (Sminkey & Musick, 1995). Juveniles measure about 2 feet at birth (NOAA Fisheries, 2025).

They are closely related to the dusky, bignose, and bull shark.

Feeding & Diet

The sandbar shark is an opportunistic bottom feeder. They prey on small bony fishes, skates, rays, eels, Atlantic spiny dogfish, octopus, squid, molluscs, bivalves, shrimp, and crabs (Knickle, 2025). They feed during the day but become active at night. Their large livers contain a high percentage of oil and vitamins that suggest a regular, successful feeding strategy compared to other species in their genus.

Position in the Food Web

Sandbar sharks are considered apex predators. Juvenile sharks may fall prey to bull sharks.

A parasitic copepod, Albeion lobatus, is often found on this shark (Knickle, 2025). 

Reproduction

Sandbar sharks mate from late October to January that corresponds with a warmer summer season. The male will follow a female, occasionally biting her between the dorsal fins that reflect permanent scarring (Knickle, 2025).

Gestation lasts 8 to 12 months, but will vary by each region. In the Western Atlantic, young are carried for 9 months. They are gravid every other year with a resting year after birth.

Embryos are nourished by placental sac (viviparous). Pups are born June through August in the Western Atlantic. Litter size can vary by region and size of the mother (larger sharks bear larger litters) between 6 and 13 pups. Litters reflect a 1:1 ratio of male and female sharks.

Partruition occurs in shallow water habitats of bays and estuaries that protected from larger sharks, such as adult bull sharks. They will remain in the shallows until late fall when they will form schools and migrate between the shallows and warmer, deeper waters for a period of up to 5 years.

Natural Mortality

It is believed that sandbar sharks can live longer than 20 years old, up to 24 years for males and 26 years for females (Hale & Baremore, 2013).

Biodiversity

As an apex predator, sandbar sharks help maintain prey populations and support biodiversity.

Migratory Pattern

Sanbar sharks undergo seasonal migrations that are influenced by temperature and ocean currents (Knickle, 2025). Adults will move as far north as Cape Cod in the warmer, summer months and return as far south as South Carolina at the onset of cooler weather. Males will migrate in congregations and large schools earlier in deeper waters than females who prefer solitary migrations.

Danger to Humans

Sandbar sharks have a preference for small prey. They tend to avoid beaches and surface water. They pose little threat to humans, though their size can make them potentially dangerous (Knickle, 2025).

Fishing Regulations

As of June 2025, in North Carolina, sandbar sharks are not allowed to be harvested as they are a protected and prohibited species for any size (Rawls, 2024). Due to their protections, they cannot be retained or landed, and, if caught, they are to be released immediately without removal from the water with minimal injury.

Please Note: The fishing regulations and information provided on this website are for general information purposes only. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of the content, fishing laws and regulations can change frequently and vary by location. It is the responsibility of each angler to verify the current local, state, and federal fishing laws before fishing. Always consult the official website or contact the appropriate wildlife and fisheries agency for the most up-to-date rules and regulations.

We are not liable for any penalties, fines, or legal issues that may arise from the use or misuse of the information on this site.

References

Hale, L. F., & Baremore, I. E. (2013). Age and growth of the Sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) from the northern Gulf of Mexico and the western North Atlantic Ocean. Gulf of Mexico Science, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.18785/goms.3101.03

Heist, E. J., Graves, J. E., & Musick, J. A. (1995). Population genetics of the Sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus) in the Gulf of Mexico and Mid-Atlantic bight. Copeia, 1995(3), 555. https://doi.org/10.2307/1446752

Knickle, C. (2025, February 3). Sandbar shark. Discover Fishes. https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/species-profiles/sandbar-shark/

NOAA Fisheries. (2025, May 13). Sandbar shark. Retrieved June 26, 2025, from https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/sandbar-shark

Rawls, K. (2024). Proclamation Re: Shark - Commercial and Recreational - Opening Date and Harvest Restrictions (FF-2-2024). NC Division of Marine Fisheries. https://files.nc.gov/deq/documents/2023-12/FF-2-2024_Shark_Opening.pdf?VersionId=ojmPIaCH.7VqI6F8cf_GTAY1fy80NCYY#:~:text=H.,Isurus%20oxyrinchus)%20for%20recreational%20purposes

Sminkey, T. R., & Musick, J. A. (1995). Age and growth of the Sandbar shark, Carcharhinus plumbeus, before and after population depletion. Copeia, 1995(4), 871. https://doi.org/10.2307/1447035
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