Reef Shark

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos

The grey reef shark is a requiem shark (family Carcharhinidae) and one of the most common reef sharks across the Indo-Pacific, ranging as far east as Easter Island and as far west as South Africa. It is most often seen in shallow water near the drop-offs of coral reefs. The species 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, the grey reef shark ranges in the Indian Ocean from South Africa to India, including Madagascar and nearby islands, the Red Sea, and the Maldives. In the Pacific it occurs from southern China to northern Australia and New Zealand, taking in the Gulf of Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia. It has also been recorded across many Pacific islands, among them American Samoa, the Chagos Archipelago, Easter Island, Christmas Island, the Cook Islands, the Marquesas, the Tuamotu Archipelago, Guam, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Caledonia, the Marianas, Palau, the Pitcairn Islands, and Samoa.

Behaviour

Grey reef sharks stay active around the clock, with their peak activity coming at night. At Rangiroa, groups of roughly 30 sharks spend the day together within a small portion of their shared home range of about 0.8 square kilometres (0.31 square miles), scattering at night into shallower water to feed. At Enewetak in the Marshall Islands their habits vary by location: sharks on the outer ocean reefs tend to roam, covering long distances along the reef, while those around lagoon reefs and underwater pinnacles hold to defined day and night home ranges.

Reef Shark

Where & When to See It

More Sharks