Table of Contents
Reef Shark Facts
What are reef sharks known for?
Caribbean reef sharks are of some importance to fisheries as a source of meat, leather, liver oil, and fishmeal, but recently they have become more valuable as an ecotourist attraction. In the Bahamas and elsewhere, bait is used to attract them to groups of divers in controversial “shark feedings”.
How big do reef sharks get?
Most Grey Reef Sharks are less than 1.9 m (6.2 ft) long. The maximum reported length is 2.6 m (8.5 ft) and the maximum reported weight is 33.7 kg (74 lb).
Do reef sharks eat humans?
While it is considered dangerous to humans, this shark does not have a history of attacks on humans. Also known as the Reef Shark, it has a unique color and is white to light yellow on the ventral side and grey-brown to dark-grey on the dorsal side.
How many reef sharks are there?
There are five species of a reef shark. They are the Caribbean, the whitetip, the blacktip, the grey, and the Galapagos shark. All belong to the Carcharhinus genus save the whitetip reef shark, which belongs to the genus Triaenodon.
Are reef sharks friendly?
Human interactions. Unlike its Oceanic cousin, the white tip reef shark is more harmless and is seldom aggressive unless provoked. They are also fearless and curious, as the whitetip reef sharks may approach swimmers closely to investigate.
What kind of fish do reef sharks eat?
Reef fishes, along with smaller quantities of cephalopods (squid and octopus), and crustaceans (shrimp and lobster), provide the majority of the grey reef sharks’ prey (Smale 2009). Reef shark prey also includes bony fish including cowfish, surgeonfish, and butterflyfish.
What does the reef shark eat?
The blacktip reef shark feeds primarily on fish, including many common reef fishes, but will also consume crustaceans, mollusks, and even snakes!
What do reef sharks prey on?
Whitetip reef sharks feed primarily on octopuses, crustaceans and reef fish, including eels, snappers, parrotfish and triggerfish. As a hunting method, whitetip reef sharks sometimes chase and trap their prey in crevices where they can easily jam their slim bodies and snouts to catch it.
How fast does a reef shark swim?
But if a meal is in sight, they can reach high speeds and then get into a frantic feeding frenzy. Grey reef sharks are considered to be extremely fast swimmers that are far superior to most of the reef inhabitants in swimming speed. Speeds of nearly 50 kilometers an hour during the chase are quite common.
Do reef sharks hunt in groups?
It is the hunting grounds of up to 900 reef sharks, including grey reef, whitetip reef, silvertip, and blacktip reef sharks. Researchers studying this nearly pristine ecosystem recently documented a new phenomenon during their nighttime dives: The sharks hunt in packs.
Do reef sharks eat sea turtles?
No, Reef Sharks do not typically eat sea turtles. Reef Sharks prefer to eat things the size of the typical hamburger or smaller. This means that adult and juvenile sea turtles are completely off of the menu for Reef Sharks. The Reef Shark is known to occasionally eat sea turtle hatchlings though.
What kind of sharks are in shark reef?
Common species include the blacktip reef shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus, the blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, the grey reef shark, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, the sicklefin lemon shark, Negaprion acutidens, and the whitetip reef shark, Triaenodon obesus.
Where are reef sharks found?
The Caribbean reef shark is found throughout tropical waters, particularly in the Caribbean Sea. This shark’s range includes Florida, Bermuda, the northern Gulf of Mexico, Yucatan, Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil.
What sharks live in coral reef?
Below is a listing of some of the more common sharks and rays found in the world’s coral reefs.
- Great White Shark. (Carcharodon carcharias) …
- Tiger Shark. (Galeocerdo cuvier) …
- Scalloped Hammerhead Shark. (Sphyrna lewini) …
- Blue Shark. (Prionace glauca) …
- Gray Reef Shark. …
- Whitetip Reef Shark. …
- Silky Shark. …
- Nurse Shark.
Who is the nicest shark?
I’ve found 7 of the friendliest shark species that really pose no danger to humans or divers to prove it!
- 1 Leopard Shark. Share. …
- 2 Zebra Shark. Share. …
- 3 Hammerhead Shark. Share. …
- 4 Angel Shark. Share. …
- 5 Whale Shark. Share. …
- 6 Bluntnose Sixgill Shark. Share. …
- 7 Bigeye Thresher Shark. Share.
What is the cutest shark?
The Top Seven Cutest Sharks Ever
- Blue Shark. What makes the blue shark so adorable are its gigantic black eyes and pouty mouth that bring to mind a surprised child. …
- Chain Catshark. …
- Dwarf Lantern Shark. …
- Greenland Shark. …
- Pygmy Shark. …
- Whale Shark. …
- Hammerhead Shark.
How do reef sharks breathe?
Although they are related to other reef sharks, they are unique among the requiem sharks in that they can pump water over their gills to breathe. All other requiem sharks rely on a process known as ‘ram ventilation’, where the shark must swim constantly in order to breathe.
Do reef sharks eat coral?
So rather than eating big fish, reef sharks are eating like big fish.” Understanding ‘who eats who’ on coral reefs is important in helping scientists better predict how changes in one population impact another. … In most cases, the top predators are tiger sharks, hammerhead sharks, or people,” Dr Rizzari said.
Do reef sharks eat eels?
Moray eels have few predators. Their predators are usually the apex predator in their ecosystem. Grouper, barracuda, sharks, and humans are common predators of moray eels.
What is the black tip reef shark scientific name?
Blacktip Reef Shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
Do reef sharks jump?
Blacktip Reef Shark Behaviour
Blacktip Reef sharks are harmless unless provoked. Incidents generally involve hand feeding or spear fishing, possibly in combination with low visibility. The Blacktip Reef shark is one of only a few sharks that can jump fully out of the water, a behaviour called ‘breaching’.
How would you describe a reef shark?
General Characteristics of Reef Sharks
They are silvery gray to brownish in color, some with thick bodies. Their snouts are short and blunt, and they peer out with their beady shark eyes. Reef sharks have two dorsal fins. Reef sharks are predators, meaning they hunt and eat other animals.
Is a reef shark a fish?
Grey Reef Shark Classification and Scientific Name
The genus Carcharhinus is named after two Greek words that mean sharpen and nose. They are members of the taxonomic family Carcharhinidae, which is part of the class Chondrichthyes along with other types of cartilaginous fish.
How have reef sharks adapted to coral reefs?
The caudal fin is used in propulsion, and the pectoral fins are used to navigate through the water. This combined with its cartilaginous skeleton makes for a flexible, and very successful motile predator.
What is the niche of a reef shark?
Reef sharks play a major role in shaping Caribbean reef communities. As the top predators of the reef and indicator species for marine ecosystems, they help maintain the delicate balance of marine life in reef environments.
