Silky SharkorSandbar Shark
Two fish anglers mix up. Here is what separates them, and what each one’s rules are in your state.
How to tell them apart
Silky Shark
Slim, dark gray-bronze with long pectoral fins and a low first dorsal set behind the pectorals; smooth-feeling skin, an interdorsal ridge.
Sandbar Shark
Very tall first dorsal starting over the pectorals; high back ridge; stocky gray-brown body.
Sandbar shark, next to silky shark: very tall first dorsal set forward.
Side by side
| Silky Shark | Sandbar Shark | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Carcharhinus falciformis | Carcharhinus plumbeus |
| Also called | Ridgeback shark | — |
| Waters | Sharks | Sharks |
| Heaviest state record | 110 lb · Virginia (1977) | 235 lb · Maryland (1983) |
| On the table | Not a food fish here — harvest prohibited. | Prohibited for recreational harvest — release. |
| Rules of its own in | 19 states | 19 states |
Rules for
Every state, both fish
Where either fish has a rule, the two are regulated the same. The name still goes in the log and on the tally.
| State | Silky Shark: size · bag · season | Sandbar Shark: size · bag · season |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Harvest prohibitedZeroClosed year-roundPut it backAL MRD 2026 · checked | Harvest prohibitedZeroClosed year-roundPut it backAL MRD 2026 · checked |
| Connecticut | Take prohibited0Closed year-roundPut it backCT DEEP 2026 · checked | Take prohibited0Closed year-roundPut it backCT DEEP 2026 · checked |
| Delaware | Harvest prohibited0No harvest permittedPut it backDE DNREC 2026 · checked | Harvest prohibited0No harvest permittedPut it backDE DNREC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked | No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked |
| Florida (Gulf) | No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked | No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundPut it backFWC 2026 · checked |
| Georgia | No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundPut it backGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked | No harvestNo harvestClosed year-roundPut it backGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked |
| Louisiana | No harvestNo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backLDWF 2026 · checked | No harvestNo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backLDWF 2026 · checked |
| Maine | Take prohibitedNo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backME DMR 2026 · checked | Take prohibitedNo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backME DMR 2026 · checked |
| Maryland | No take0ClosedPut it backMD DNR 2026 · checked | No take0ClosedPut it backMD DNR 2026 · checked |
| Massachusetts | N/ANo possessionClosed year-roundPut it backMA DMF 2026 · checked | N/ANo possessionClosed year-roundPut it backMA DMF 2026 · checked |
| Mississippi | No takeNo takeClosed year-roundPut it backMS DMR 2026 · checked | No takeNo takeClosed year-roundPut it backMS DMR 2026 · checked |
| New Hampshire | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2026 · checked | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backFederal rule (NOAA Highly Migratory Species)NOAA HMS 2026 · checked |
| New Jersey | Prohibited0No open seasonPut it backNJ DEP 2026 · checked | Prohibited0No open seasonPut it backNJ DEP 2026 · checked |
| New York | No possession0Closed all yearPut it backNY DEC 2026 · checked | No possession0Closed all yearPut it backNY DEC 2026 · checked |
| North Carolina | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backNC DMF 2026 · checked | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backNC DMF 2026 · checked |
| Rhode Island | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backRI DEM 2026 · checked | N/ANo harvest or possessionClosed year-roundPut it backRI DEM 2026 · checked |
| South Carolina | No harvestPossession prohibitedClosed year-roundPut it backSC DNR 2026 · checked | No harvestPossession prohibitedClosed year-roundPut it backSC DNR 2026 · checked |
| Texas | No harvest0Closed year-roundPut it backTPWD 2026 · checked | No harvest0Closed year-roundPut it backTPWD 2026 · checked |
| Virginia | No harvest0ClosedPut it backVMRC 2026 · checked | No harvest0ClosedPut it backVMRC 2026 · checked |
In the app
Point the camera at the fish and Chum names it before you take the picture, silky shark or sandbar shark, with the right rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask
How do you tell silky shark from sandbar shark?
Silky Shark: Slim, dark gray-bronze with long pectoral fins and a low first dorsal set behind the pectorals; smooth-feeling skin, an interdorsal ridge. Sandbar Shark: Very tall first dorsal starting over the pectorals; high back ridge; stocky gray-brown body. Sandbar shark, next to silky shark: very tall first dorsal set forward.
Which gets bigger, silky shark or sandbar shark?
Sandbar Shark. The heaviest state record we hold is 235 lb in Maryland; the heaviest silky shark record is 110 lb in Virginia.
Which is better to eat, silky shark or sandbar shark?
Silky Shark: Not a food fish here — harvest prohibited. Sandbar Shark: Prohibited for recreational harvest — release.
Do silky shark and sandbar shark have the same limits?
Yes, in every state that regulates either one. The table on this page lists each rule with its source and check date.