Caribbean Reef Shark

CARIBBEAN REEF SHARK

Carcharhinus perezi

WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

A large shark with a short bluntly-rounded snout, an interdorsal ridge, and no prominent markings on its fins. 

COLOR:

Gray brown to olive above, white to yellowish below.

SIZE:

Most sharks encountered by divers are about 5.2 ft [1.6 m] in length. Males mature when they are between 4.9 and 5.5 ft [1.52 to 1.68 m], females at 6.5 to 9 ft [2 to 2.95 m].

TEETH:

Teeth in both jaws are serrated. Teeth of the upper jaw have narrow cusps and broad bases and are semi-erect to oblique, teeth of the lower jaw are narrow and erect with triangular cusps and broad bases.

HABITAT:

The shark is a tropical inshore bottom dweller of the continental and insular shelves. It is often found on coral reefs and adjacent to drop offs.

DISTRIBUTION:

Western Atlantic from Florida to southern Brazil, Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. It is the commonest shark on coral reefs in the Caribbean.

BIOLOGY:

Prey - Thought to feed on fishes and rays. 

Reproduction - Viviparous. Litters of 4 to 6 pups have been reported. Size at birth is 24 to 30 inches [60 to 75 cm].

BEHAVIOR:

This species has been observed in caves and lying motionless on the bottom.

DISPOSITION:

In staged “shark feeds” in the Bahamas the shark may make close passes at divers. It is rarely aggressive, but four incidents have been recorded.