Caribbean Reef Shark

ocean · sharks · Caribbean · reef life

Super common reef hunter. The Caribbean reef shark is the shark you're most likely to see if you're snorkeling or diving around Caribbean coral reefs. It lives in tropical waters from Florida all the way down to Brazil.

Speedy, streamlined body. This shark has a robust, torpedo-shaped body just like other requiem sharks, which helps it zoom through the water to catch fish. Its design is built for swimming fast and hunting efficiently.

Dusky fins and details. You can identify a Caribbean reef shark by its dusky (grayish-brown) colored fins without any bright markings. Its second dorsal fin has a short free rear tip, which makes it different from similar-looking sharks like the dusky shark and silky shark.

Tooth detective clues. Scientists can tell Caribbean reef sharks apart from their close cousins by carefully examining their teeth, which have a specific shape and number compared to other requiem sharks.