Whitetip Reef Shark

Whitetip reef shark
Conservation status: Lower risk (nt)

Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Chondrichthyes
Subclass:Elasmobranchii
Order:Carchariniformes
Family:Carcharhinidae
Genus:Triaenodon
Species:obesus
Binomial name
Triaenodon obesus
(R?, 1837)


The Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus) is a shark of tropical and warm temperate seas.

Contents

Distrubution

One of the most common sharks found in shallow water around coral reefs of Indo-Pacific waters. Depth range 1-330 meters.

Behaviour

It is a bottom dwelling shark and is often seen by divers while it is resting on the bottom. It is active at night.

Appearance

As its name suggests, the tips of the shark's first pectoral fins and upper caudal fin are white. The upper body is grey/brownish. Average length is about 140 to 160 cm, max reported length 244 cm. Its head is broad and flat.

Diet

A Whitetip Reef Shark's diet consists mainly on fishes and crustaceans.

Reproduction, behavior, and interaction with humans

Reproduction is viviparous, with 1-5 pups in a litter, the gestation period is at least 5 months. The shark's size at birth ranges from 50-60 cm. It is estimated that this shark can live for about 25 years and it reaches maturity after about 5 years.

This is not a curious shark; it often swims away from divers. It rests on the bottom, often in small groups. It is not harmful to humans; attacks are caused by harassment from divers.

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Shark articles
Angel | Basking | Blacktip Reef | Blue | Bull | Carpet | Cat | Cookiecutter | Freshwater | Frilled | Goblin | Gray Reef | Grey Nurse | Great White | Hammerhead | Mako | Megamouth | Nurse | Oceanic Whitetip | Porbeagle | Requiem | River | Sand | Sandbar | Saw | Silky | Sleeper | Smooth dogfish | Thresher | Tiger | Whale (shark) | Whitetip reef | Wobbegong | Zebra / Leopard
Extinct shark species
Megalodon | Cladoselache | Squalicorax

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