Carcharhinus macloti, the Hardnose Shark, is an extant taxon found along the rim of the Indian Ocean and into the western Pacific (sub-tropical waters). Individauals are small (<1 m) inhabiting inshore & shelf (0-170m) waters and aggregating by sex; they feed on small teleosts, cephalopods and crustaceans. (Ref Compagno (1984), Compagno et al (2005), Last & Stevens (1994) FishBase.org). Compagno et al (2005: 301) note that this species is the only member of the genus with a hypercalcified rostrum.

The dentition is cutting-clutching in design; cutting provided by slightly broadened uppers with a complete cutting-edge. Teeth number 13-15 per quadrate displaying gradational dignathic heterodonty. Uppers usually display multiple cusplets on each shoulder, more so on the distal. The mesial cusplets are less salient than the distal and may be significantly reduced or lacking entirely. The third/fourth positions are the tallest, with succeeding positions lower and more distally inclined. Lowers have more erect cusps and smooth shoulders -- in distal positions, a notch is present between the cusp and distal shoulder, Slight sexual dimorphism appears to be present (Mark Harris pers. com. 2007); in fossil specimens this is reflected in the uppers by cusp width and (in lateral profile) lingual curvature.

This species was included by Purdy et al (2001: 152-53) as abundant in lower (Burdigalian, Early Miocene) and upper (Serravalian, Middle Miocene) Pungo River sediments.

References

Compagno, L.,1984. FAO Species Catalogue, Vol 4, parts 1 & 2 Sharks of the World. United Nations Development Program.
Compagno, L.,1988. Sharks of the Order Carcharhiniformes. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. 486 pp , 35 plates.
Compagno, L,, Dando & M., Fowler, S., 2005. Sharks of the World. Harper Collins, 368 p.
FishBase.org Sep. 2008.
Garrick, J., 1985. Additions to a Revision of the Shark Genus Carcharhinus: Synonymy of Aprionodon and Hypoprion, and Description of a New Species of Carcharhinus (Carcharhinidae). NOAA Technical Report NMFS 34. 26 pp
Last, P. and Stevens, J., 1994. Sharks and rays of Australia. CSIRO, Australia. 513 p.
Purdy, R., Schneider, V., Appelgate, S., McLellan, J., Meyer, R. & Slaughter, R., 2001. The Neogene Sharks, Rays, and Bony Fishes from Lee Creek Mine, Aurora, North Carolina. In: Geology and Paleontology of the Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina, III. C. E. Ray & D. J. Bohaska eds. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, No 90. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C. pp. 71-202.