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Grey Reef Shark

Shark · Endangered

Grey Reef Shark

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos

About

The grey reef shark is a requiem shark of the family Carcharhinidae and one of the most abundant reef sharks in the Indo-Pacific, ranging as far east as Easter Island and as far west as South Africa. It is usually encountered in shallow water near the drop-offs of coral reefs and shows the classic reef-shark profile, with a broad rounded snout and large eyes.

Family
Carcharhinidae
Avg size
180-200 cm
Habitat
Native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, it occurs in the Indian Ocean from South Africa to India, taking in Madagascar and nearby islands, the Red Sea and the Maldives. In the Pacific its range runs from southern China to northern Australia and New Zealand, including the Gulf of Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, and it has been recorded from many Pacific islands such as American Samoa, the Chagos Archipelago, Easter Island, the Cook Islands, the Marshall Islands, New Caledonia, Palau and the Pitcairn Islands.
Behaviour
Active around the clock, grey reef sharks are most energetic at night. At Rangiroa, groups of about 30 share a small portion of their collective home range by day, then scatter into shallower water to forage after dark, their home range covering roughly 0.8 km2 (0.31 mi2). At Enewetak in the Marshall Islands, sharks from different parts of the reef behave differently: those on the outer ocean reefs tend to be nomadic, ranging long distances along the reef, while those around lagoon reefs and underwater pinnacles keep to set daytime and nighttime home ranges.

Where & when

Where & When to See It

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