The sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
Sandbars live in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world.
In the Mediterranean sea they reach two meters of length, with females slightly larger than males. They grow slowly, start reproducing only at ten years of age and can live over 30 years. Males and females lead separate lives and only meet during their summer migrations, in May and June.
Much of the information we have on this shark is based on what was discevered studying dead animals, not from direct observations of live animals in their own environment. This is what makes our research unique.

Sandbars are migratory animals that undertake long migrations to warm, shallow waters in the mating season. Teh act of mating itself leave visible bitemarks on the females as the male leads her towards the surface where he will mate with her using both his sexual organs. It is thanks also to these marks that we can recognize each individual animal.

After reaching shallow bays the females give birth to 5-6 young, which at birth are about 60 centimetres long. 
WHAT DOES IT EAT? In spite of their menacing look, sandbars are shy fishes that feed mainly on small fish, rays, other small sharks , cuttlefish, octopus and squids, crabs and shrimps.
A SHARK IN DANGER Once it reaches a considerable size, sandbar sharks have no enemy save, perhaps, for the great white shark - and Man. Everywhere in the world they are an important part of fishery catches, both professional and amateur. On the US Atlantic coast they make up o 60% of bycatch in longlines; as for sport-fishing, sandbars catches are second only to blue sharks. 

With high capture rates and given that it reproduces only later in life, this shark has become quite rare (numbers crashed by 85%-90% in just ten years in the western Atlantic). IUCN, the World Conservation Union, declared it a 'vulnerable species'. many researchers believe that even if all fishing on sandbars were stopped, it would take decades to grow back to their original numbers.