page_title: Whitetip reef shark
section_title: Behaviour
hierarchical_section_title: Whitetip reef shark / Behaviour
caption_attribution_description: Whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus) in a Guam aquarium
context_page_description: The Whitetip reef shark, is a species of requiem shark, and the only member of its genus. The whitetip reef shark gets its name because of the white tips on its first dorsal fin and caudal fin. This shark has a slim body, with a short, wide head, a blunt, flattened snout, and oval-shaped eyes. The body is dark grey to brown in colour, and the underside is white. The whitetip reef shark is widely distributed across the entire Indo-Pacific region, and is common along coral reefs, but is also found over sandy flats, in lagoons, and near drop-offs to deeper water. This species of shark is viviparous, giving birth to 1-5 pups after a gestation period lasting up to 12 months. The whitetip reef shark is currently listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
context_section_description: The whitetip reef shark is usually seen swimming in clear waters along coral reefs, and has been reported at depths to up to 1,083 feet (330 metres). This species rarely swims to the surface, and is capable of lying motionless on the bottom for long periods of time. During daylight hours, whitetip reef sharks form large groups in caves, sometimes appearing stacked up like a pile of logs. The same sharks often return repeatedly to the same cave for long periods of time, changing location only periodically. The whitetip reef shark is most active throughout the night.
caption: The Whitetip reef shark spends most of the day laying still on the bottom
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