Bonnethead Shark(Sphyrna tiburo)
Quick Facts
- Size Range: Up to 4 feet
- Native Species?: Yes
- Food Value: Can be eaten and is sold commercially
The shovel or bonnet-shaped head is a distinguishing characteristic of this species, making it easy to identify. The eyes of the bonnethead shark are located at the ends of the evenly rounded lobes of the flattened head, increasing the field of vision. When the bonnethead swims, the head rolls from side to side. The arched mouth is located ventrally. The body is moderately compact and lacks a mid-dorsal ridge. The high first dorsal fin originates just behind the base of the pectoral fins. The second dorsal fin is slightly less than half as long as the base of the first dorsal fin with a slender free rear corner. The pectoral fins are short and the anal fin has only a slight indentation. The caudal fin has a nearly straight upper margin with a lower lobe about one third as long as the upper lobe with a nearly straight rear edge. Coloration of the bonnethead ranges from gray to gray-brown, occasionally with a green tint. Dark spots are sometimes seen on the sides of the body. Viewed from the side, the color changes from top to bottom to a lighter gray and then white on the underside. There are no conspicuous markings on the fins.
Bonnetheads reside on continental and insular shelves, over reefs, estuaries and in shallow bays from depths of 32 to 262 feet. They usually occur in small schools of up to 15 individuals, however, during migration events they are seen in groups of hundreds or thousands. As spawning time approaches, bonnetheads tend to group by gender. During pupping season, females predominate in shallow waters where they give birth. Bonnetheads travel long distances everyday, following changes in the water temperature. As a result, the bonnethead is found closer to the equator during the winter, moving back to higher latitudes during the summer.
Bonnethead Shark Rules and Regulations
| Size Limit : | None |
| Bag and Possession Limit : | 1 daily per person in aggregate |
| Special Rules : | All shark harvest is prohibited from April 1 to June 30 |
CLOSED SEASON
All Louisiana state waters seaward to the gulfward boundary of the Louisiana Territorial Sea shall be closed to the recreational and commercial harvest and possession of all sharks between April 1 and June 30 of each year.
Small Coastal Sharks
- Atlantic sharpnose shark; bonnethead shark; blacknose shark; finetooth shark
Large Coastal Sharks
- Blacktip shark; nurse shark; smooth hammerhead; bull shark; sandbar shark*; spinner shark; great hammerhead; scalloped hammerhead; tiger shark; lemon shark; silky shark*
*NOTE: Recreational harvest of sandbar and silky sharks (ridgeback sharks) is not allowed.
Pelagic Sharks
- Blue shark; porbeagle shark; thresher shark; oceanic whitetip shark; shortfin mako NOTE: A person subject to a bag limit shall not possess at any time, regardless of the number of trips or the duration of a trip, any shark in excess of the bag limits. The practice of “finning,” that is, removing only the fins and returning the remainder of the shark to the sea, is prohibited within and without Louisiana waters. Notwithstanding other provisions of this part, a person may fish for, but not retain, white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) with rod and reel only under a catch and- release program, provided the person releases and returns such fish to the sea immediately with a minimum of injury.
Prohibited Sharks
- The following is a list of shark species that are prohibited:
- Atlantic angel shark, sand tiger shark, dusky shark, bigeye sand tiger shark, sixgill shark, largetooth sawfish, bigeye thresher shark, smalltooth sawfish, narrowtooth shark, Caribbean reef shark, white shark, Caribbean sharpnose shark, basking shark, sevengill shark, Galapagos shark, bigeye sixgill shark, smalltail shark, longfin mako, bignose shark, whale shark and night shark. No sandbar or silky sharks may be retained under a recreational bag limit.
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