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Whitetip Reef Shark

Whitetip reef sharks are the night shift of the coral reef! During the day, these social sharks rest in caves and crevices, sometimes sharing their space with other whitetip reef sharks. But at night, they go out on the hunt, searching for fish, mollusks, and crustaceans!

 

These small sharks are usually under 1.8 meters (6 feet) long and have a slender body with a broad, flattened head. Their most recognizable features are the white markings on their first dorsal and upper tail fins, which stand out against their gray-brown bodies. Whitetip reef sharks are found in shallow waters around coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific. They will choose a patch of reef to be their home, sometimes occupying the same small home range for years at a time!  

Unlike some sharks, whitetip reef sharks don’t need to keep swimming to breathe — they can pump water over their gills while resting on the seafloor or in caves. They will spend most of the day resting like this before heading out at night to hunt! These sharks are nonterritorial, and their home range overlaps with other sharks hunting these reefs as well. But that doesn’t mean everything is always peaceful — tiger sharks and even giant groupers are known to prey on these smaller sharks!

 

 

Whitetip reef sharks face threats from overfishing and habitat degradation. As a result, the species is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. 

Overfishing 

While not often specifically targeted, whitetip reef sharks are caught accidentally throughout their range in a variety of fisheries and frequently kept for their meat, fins, and liver. Notably, almost two-thirds of coral reef sharks and rays are at risk of extinction.

Habitat Degradation 

These sharks’ preference for shallow reef habitats also makes them especially vulnerable to reef degradation from global warming and destructive fishing practices.

 

 

Stopping overfishing and destructive fishing practices is essential to helping sharks and other ocean animals recover from intense fishing pressure. Oceana is working around the world to reduce overfishing and bycatch, protect our climate by stopping offshore drilling, and safeguard coral reefs and other vital ocean habitats. 

 

 

 

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