Sharks The Animal Answer Guide

130 Sharks: The Animal Answer Guide

Size and age at maturity and longevity of some sharks, skates, rays, and chimaeras

Maximum
Size at Age at known
Species Common name maturity (cm)a maturity (yrs) age (yrs)

Selachian sharks
Alopias vulpinus Common Thresher 226–400 5–6 22
Carcharhinus leucas Bull 180–230 21 32
Carcharodon carcharias White 360–500 9–16 22 (30?)
Carcharias taurus Sand Tiger 220–230 6–10 17
Centrophorus squamosus Leafscale Gulper 110–158 45 70
Galeocerdo cuvier Tiger 250–350 7–11 27
Galeorhinus galeus Tope 120–185 13–25 43
Ginglymostoma cirratum Nurse 230–240 16–25 35
Isurus oxyrinchus Shortfin Mako 200–290 25 32
Lamna ditropis Salmon 180–220 3–10 25
Prionace glauca Blue 170–220 4–6 16
Rhincodon typus Whale 800–900 22–30 27
Sphyrna lewini Scalloped Hammerhead 140–210 4–9 19
Sphyrna mokarran Great Hammerhead 234–300 — 44
Squalus acanthias Spiny Dogfish 52–120 15–35 100
Triakis semifasciata Leopard 70–130 7–10 24
Batoid skates and rays
Dasyatis americana Southern Stingray — 5–6 28
Dipturus batis Blue Skate 160+ 11 23
Manta birostris Giant Manta 380–460 — —
M. alfredi Reef Manta 270–300 10–15 22–32+
P. microdon Largetooth Sawfish 240–400 10 30–44
P. pectinata Smalltooth Sawfish — 10 30
Raja rhina Longnose Skate 70–100 10–11 17
Squatina californica Pacific Angelshark 86–108 11 35
Torpedo californica Pacific Electric Ray 73+ 9 16
Urolophus lobatus Lobed Stingaree 28+ 4 14
Holocephalan chimaeras
Callorhynchus capensis St. Joseph / Cape Elephantfish 50+ 3–4.2 10
C. millii Elephant Fish / Ghost Shark 70+ 3–4.5 10
Chimaera monstrosa Rabbitfish 46+ 11–13 30

Note: The scientific literature on these topics varies greatly depending on source, so the numbers should be
viewed as approximate.
a To convert centimeters to feet, multiply by 0.033.

ent ages, males tend to mature at younger ages. White Shark males mature

between 9 and 10 years old, females between 14 and 16 years. Male Nurse

Sharks in Florida mature at around 16 years old, whereas females don’t

mature until they are about 25 years old. Male Sand Tigers in the North

Atlantic mature at 6 to 7 years old, but females don’t reach maturity until

they are 9 to 10 years old.

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