SpinyheadPlay freeCaribbean reef shark Carcharhinus perezi
The Caribbean reef shark is a large, streamlined requiem shark and one of the most commonly encountered big sharks on Caribbean coral reefs. It is typically grey to grey-brown above and white below, with a robust, torpedo-shaped body and a rounded snout. It is an active, strong swimmer that patrols reef edges, drop-offs and channels, and is often seen cruising near the bottom or resting on sand and in caves. Despite its size it is generally wary of divers, though it can become bold around food.
How to recognize it
- Streamlined grey-brown body
- White underside
- Rounded, fairly broad snout
- No ridge between the dorsal fins
- Dusky or dark tips on the fins, especially underside of the pectorals
- Large first dorsal fin with a curved rear edge
- Large eyes; five gill slits
- Usually seen near reefs, not open ocean
| Size | Commonly about 1.5 to 2.5 m long; maximum reported about 3 m. Adults weigh in the range of tens of kilograms up to roughly 70 kg or more. |
|---|---|
| Range | Western Atlantic, from the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (southern Florida, the Bahamas, Cuba and the Antilles) south along Central America to Brazil. It is rare or absent in much of the northern Gulf and farther north along the US coast. |
| Habitat | Coral reefs, reef walls and drop-offs, channels and adjacent sandy flats, from very shallow water to deeper reef slopes. It is most often seen from near the surface to about 30 m, but has been recorded considerably deeper, to a few hundred metres at least. |
| Diet | Mainly bony fishes such as groupers, snappers, grunts and parrotfishes, along with some rays, squid, octopus and crustaceans. It hunts actively, often at night, using keen smell, hearing and sensitivity to vibrations and electric fields to find prey. |
| Conservation | Listed as Endangered by the IUCN. It is threatened mainly by fishing, including targeted and incidental catch, and its slow growth and low reproductive output make populations slow to recover. Declines have been reported in many areas, while marine protected areas and shark sanctuaries support healthier populations in some places. |
Life and behavior
Caribbean reef sharks are active both day and night, with much hunting at dusk and after dark. They often rest motionless on the bottom or in caves, which shows they do not always need to swim to breathe. They give birth to live young, nourished through a yolk-sac placenta, in litters of about 4 to 6 pups, after a gestation of roughly a year. Pups are born in shallow nursery areas such as lagoons and reef flats. Individuals may show fidelity to particular reef areas, and young sharks grow slowly and mature after several years.
Its family: Requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae)
Requiem sharks are mostly medium to large, streamlined sharks found in warm seas worldwide. They have nictitating eyelids, five gill slits, two dorsal fins and an anal fin, and most give birth to live young via a yolk-sac placenta. The family includes many reef and coastal species as well as some oceanic ones.
Similar species
- Blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus Has conspicuous black tips on most fins, including the pectorals, dorsal and tail lobe, and a pointed snout; the Caribbean reef shark has more subdued dusky fin edges.
- Bull shark Carcharhinus leucas Stockier and heavier-bodied with a very short, blunt snout and no strong fin markings; often found in turbid or brackish water.
- Silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis Sleeker and more oceanic, with a low ridge between the dorsal fins, small first dorsal fin, and long pectoral fins.
- Nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum Tan to brown, with barbels at the nostrils, two similar-sized dorsal fins set far back, and a bottom-dwelling habit.
