Reproductive biology of two small-bodied sharks, Carcharhinus coatesi and Rhizoprionodon acutus, in the Northern Territory, Australia

Sharks and rays are widely perceived to have slow reproductive rates and, thus, are often considered highly suspectable to population declines from commercial fishing. However, the reproductive biology of sharks is highly diverse, and some species can sustainably support significant commercial harvest. Small sharks are commonly caught and discarded as bycatch in several Australian and international fisheries. This represents either a wasted resource that could potentially be sustainably utilised, or a potential conservation issue if overharvesting occurs. This study examines the reproductive biology of two small-bodied sharks in the Northern Territory, Australia. Australian Carcharhinus coatesi (n = 726) and Rhizoprionodon acutus (n = 179) were collected between May 2018 and November 2019 from commercial trawl fisheries. Metadata record contains life history information for two shark species: C. coatesi and R. acutus. It contains length measurements, weights and measurements for reproductive biology. It also contains spatial and temporal information from approximately where sharks were caught.