A generalist apex predator, the dusky shark can be found from the coast to the outer continental shelf and adjacent pelagic waters, and has been recorded from a depth of 400 m (1,300 ft).

Populations migrate seasonally towards the poles in the summer and towards the equator in the winter, traveling hundreds to thousands of kilometers.

Petition launched
On May 17, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) , announced a 90-day finding on petitions to list the dusky shark Carcharhinus obscurus range-wide or, in the alternative, the Northwest Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico population of the dusky shark as a threatened or endangered distinct population segment (DPS) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and to designate critical habitat concurrently with the listing.

Although listing is not guaranteed, this is an important step for the dusky shark.