Whitetip Reef Shark

Average size about 140 cm to 160 cm, maximum total length probably about 210 cm. Body moderately slender with a very broad and flattened head. Broadly rounded snout. Short labial furrows. First dorsal fin is well behind the free rear ends of the pectoral fins. Second dorsal fin large but still smaller than first one. Pectoral fins fairly broad and triangular. No interdorsal ridge. No lateral keels on caudal peduncle. Display grey to brownish upper body with light ventral surface. First dorsal fin and upper caudal fin with a conspicuous white tip. Small dark dots over entire body. Other fins (second dorsal, ventral caudal lobe, underside of pectoral fin) may possibly have white tips too.




The most abundant species in reef areas, together with Blacktip reef shark and Gray reef shark . Prefers shallow water, but has been found down to 330 m and lives close to the bottom or motionless on the bottom, or in caves and crevices. Compared to the typical reef sharks (requiem sharks), this species swims in a more undulating manner. Primarily nocturnal, but seems to be correlated with tidal ranges. They can be found in the same area for months (a few square kilometers) but territoriality is not known. With its slender, lithe body, the whitetip reef shark specializes in wriggling into narrow crevices and holes in the reef and extracting prey inaccessible to other reef sharks. Alternatively, it is rather clumsy when attempting to take food suspended in open water. This species feeds mainly on bony fishes, as well as octopus, spiny lobsters, and crabs. The whitetip reef shark is highly responsive to the olfactory, acoustic, and electrical cues given off by potential prey, while its visual system is attuned more to movement and/or contrast than to object details. It is especially sensitive to natural and artificial low-frequency sounds in the 25–100 Hz range, which evoke struggling fish.