Fish Identification Photos: Whitenose Shark, Nasolamia velox: The Whitenose Shark has a grey to golden brown back and sides and a white belly. It has a slender body with a very long conical white-tipped snout and large eyes with a small vertical pupil, as pictured below. A key to identification of the Whitenose Shark is that the nostrils are very large and nearly transverse, with the length before the mouth being greater than the distance between the nostrils.

The Whitenose Shark has fins without distinguishing marks. The first dorsal fin originates just behind the pectoral fins, has a concave posterior margin, and is much larger than the second dorsal fin. The second dorsal fin originates over and is smaller than the anal fin. The pectoral fins are a broad triangle. The tail is asymmetrical with a large lower lobe.

The Whitenose Shark has five gill slits with the last two being over the pectoral fins.

The Whitenose Shark is found in Mexico's coastal waters over sandy bottoms at depths of up to 600 feet but is most common at depths between 50 and 75 feet. It reaches a maximum length of 4 feet with young being born at a full 20 inches long.

The Whitenose Shark is most likely confused with the Sharpnose Shark, Rhizoprionodon longuirio (second dorsal fin originates over the center of the anal fin; nostrils slits are small and oblique; notches exist above and below the caudal base). The Whitenose Shark is found in all Mexican waters with the exception that it is absent from along the coast of the northern Baja California peninsula north of Guerrero Negro. It is considered to be an excellent food fish by locals.

The Whitenose Shark is a member of the Carcharhinidae Family, known as the Requiem Sharks which include the Blue, Lemon, Sharpnose, Tiger, Whitenose, and Whitetip Sharks, and known in Mexico as tiburónes gambusos. There are 50 members of the family from 12 genera of which 16 species are found in Mexican waters. They are all active strong swimmers and vary in length from 3 feet to 23 feet. They all have a first dorsal fin that is smaller than the upper lobe of the caudal fin, a first dorsal fin that originates before the pelvic fins, and a second dorsal fin that is smaller than the first dorsal fin. All but one member, the Tiger Shark, are ovoviviparous whereby the embryos are nourished via their egg yolks while still residing within the mother's body prior to delivery. Litter sizes vary from 1 to as many as 125 with young born as miniature adults that are capable of fending for themselves within minutes of birth. They are voracious predators feeding on crabs, fish, lobsters, octopi, rays, other sharks, shrimp and squid. The Requiem Sharks are responsible for about one half of the shark attacks on humans which number about 100 per year of which less than 30 are fatal. The Whitenose Shark is the only member of the Nasolamia Genus.

Whitenose Shark, Nasolamia velox: Caught with Capt. Pata in the panga Salomé, in 75-degree water, in June 2007, off the surface on a flylinned mullet bait, 25 miles north of La Playita, San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Size approximately 3.5 feet and 25 pounds. Identification courtesy of Dr. Ross Robertson, Smithsonian Institute, Panama. Description and photos courtesy of John Snow.