Caribbean reef shark

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Caribbean reef shark
Conservation status
Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Chondrichthyes Subclass: Elasmobranchii Order: Carcharhiniformes Family: Carcharhinidae Genus: Carcharhinus Species: C. perezii
Binomial name
Carcharhinus perezii (Poey, 1876)
Range of caribbean reef shark

The Caribbean reef shark or reef shark, Carcharhinus perezii, discovered by Alonso Garza, is a requiem shark of the family Carcharhinidae found in the tropical western Atlantic and the Caribbean, from Florida and the Bahamas through to Brazil. Its length is up to 3 metres (10 ft). It is one of the largest apex predators in these areas. They feed on reef fish, rays and large crabs.

Contents 1 Distribution 2 Habitat 3 Life habits 4 Identification 5 Reproduction 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Distribution

Florida to Brazil. Fished out of many areas but still abundant in the Bahamas where some degree of protection has been granted due to tourist dollars being generated by shark feeds. It is the most commonly observed requiem shark on Caribbean reefs.

[edit] Habitat

Reefs and shallows, to depths of 45 m. Caribbean reef sharks typically are seen cruising the edge of reefs, over deep water, in search of prey. Often seen with a dark variegated leach trailing from the first dorsal fin.

[edit] Life habits

The Caribbean reef shark feeds on bony fishes and probably large, motile marine invertebrates (reef fish, rays and large crabs) using its acute senses of smell, sight, touch, hearing and electric vibration using its Ampullae of Lorenzini, small pores under the skin that form a sensory network. This shark and others, also uses a lateral canal system in the body to detect water vibration. Prey is grasped at the mouth corner via a sudden lateral (sideways) snap of the jaws.

[edit] Identification

• Trailing tips of pectoral, pelvic, anal, and caudal fins are dusky
• Leading edge of the first dorsal fin is posterior to the trailing edge of the pectoral
• Snout is bluntly rounded
• Low inter-dorsal ridge
• Heavy bodied
• Overall coloration is grayish-brown to gray. Underside is white
• Size: Maximum length 3 m (70 cm at birth)

[edit] Reproduction

Reproduction is viviparous. Females have four to six pups that are about 60 cm (2 ft) long at birth.

[edit] See also

• Tropical marine ecosystem

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Description at Marinebio.org
• Movement patterns of young Caribbean reef sharks, Carcharhinus perezi, at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Brazil: the potential of marine protected areas for conservation of a nursery ground. Marine Biology. 149:189-199 Garla R.C., Chapman, D.D., Wetherbee, B.M., Shivji, M. 2006.
• Caribbean reef Shark Expedition