Graceful Shark

The graceful shark or Queensland shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides) is a species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae, found in the tropical Indo-Pacific from the Gulf of Aden to northern Australia. It is a midwater species that has been recorded to a depth of 50 m (160 ft). A stoutly built shark growing up to 1.7 m (5.6 ft) long, the graceful shark has a short, wedge-shaped snout, large, sickle-shaped pectoral fins and first dorsal fin, and black tips on most fins.

Graceful sharks prey mainly on bony fishes, and to a much lesser extent on cephalopods and crustaceans. It is viviparous, with females bearing litters of up to nine pups following a 9–10 month gestation period. Off northern Australia, birthing occurs in January and February, with mating shortly after. This species is potentially dangerous, but has not been implicated in any attacks. It is caught incidentally by commercial fisheries throughout its range for meat, fins, and liver oil, though specific information is lacking. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed it under Near Threatened.