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  3. Grey Reef Shark

One of the 26 sharks on WAnimals

Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)

Cartilaginous fish · Carcharhiniformes · Carcharhinidae

Grey Reef Shark

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos

Endangered

At very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future.

Spotted something wrong?

The grey reef shark is a carcharhiniform elasmobranch of the family Carcharhinidae. It is one of the commonest sharks in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Easter Island. It is generally found at depths of less than 60 metres. It is also recorded near islands and in coral or rocky areas.

Weight

18.5 kg on average

Size

up to 2.6 m

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Hard

Ocean
59countries20parks237dive sites9same family

AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.

Fun facts

  • GeneralIt adopts an exaggerated swimming posture as a warning before it attacks.
  • Its Endangered category rests on the Global FinPrint project, which used baited cameras on 371 reefs in 58 countries: the global population has fallen by between 50 and 79% over three generations, some 44 years.
  • It was absent from almost 20% of the reefs sampled, which points to local extinctions already complete.
  • It is among the sharks whose threat display is best documented: it arches its back, lifts its snout and lowers its pectoral fins while swimming in a stiff, undulating fashion. If the intruder does not withdraw, it may attack.
  • Despite its moderate size, it dominates other shark species on the reef through sheer aggression.
  • It moves little, which makes marine reserves work well for it: those taking in more than 20 km of reef give it real protection.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - cartilaginous skeleton (chondrichthyan fish)
Habitat and environment
Coral reefs and channels with strong currents
Sexual maturity
6 years
Litter / clutch size
4.1 (average)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharhinus_amblyrhynchos

Where to find it

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Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 20 of 257.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Grey Reef Shark — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family
Same taxonomic family

How to help

The grey reef shark is classified as endangered. Organisations such as the IUCN, WWF and the Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programmes is a good starting point if you want to get involved.

It's documented in 14 protected areas — one reason why protecting these places matters for its conservation.

Related guides

Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about grey reef shark.

Comments

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See full glossary
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The pins mark the parks and dive sites where its presence is documented.

See its range on the interactive map→
KomodoIndonesia
AldabraSeychelles
TubbatahaPhilippines
Ras MohammedEgypt
Great Barrier ReefAustralia
NingalooAustralia
Rock Islands of PalauPalau
East RennellSolomon Islands
FakaravaFrench Polynesia
Bazaruto ArchipelagoMozambique
Blue Hole DahabEgypt
Ras Mohammed National ParkEgypt
Thistlegorm wreckEgypt
Elphinstone ReefEgypt
Brothers Islands (El Akhawein)Egypt
Sha'ab Rumi (Cousteau)Sudan
Eilat Coral ReserveIsrael
Aqaba Marine ParkJordan
Musandam PeninsulaOman
Daymaniyat IslandsOman
See all 20 parks
See all 237 dive sites
Galapagos SharkLeast Concern

Galapagos Shark

Carcharhinus galapagensis

Tiger SharkNear Threatened

Tiger Shark

Galeocerdo cuvier

Vulnerable

Blacktip Reef Shark

Carcharhinus melanopterus

Silky SharkVulnerable

Silky Shark

Carcharhinus falciformis

Oceanic Whitetip SharkCritically Endangered

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

Carcharhinus longimanus

Bull SharkNear Threatened

Bull Shark

Carcharhinus leucas

Where to dive with Grey Reef Shark54 places
CountriesIndonesia
ParksKomodoIndonesia
TagsCarnivore
Carnivore
Nocturnal
Colonial
Endangered
Fish
Ocean

Asia24

Oceania20

Africa15

Indonesia
Egypt
Philippines
Australia
Thailand
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