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VU
Vulnerable
A
Animalia
N
Native
Archipelago Wide (sea)
The whitetip reef shark, also known as the blunthead shark, is a small to medium-sized species within the Triaenodon family. Unlike the blacktip shark, which has black marks on the ends of its fins, the whitetip reef shark is distinguished by its white-tipped fins. It has a slender body with a grey to brownish upper side and a white or greyish underside.
During the day, these sharks often crowd into caves, stacking themselves on top of each other. They typically return to the same cave or crevice daily, sometimes for years. At night or in calm waters, they hunt smaller reef inhabitants hidden within the coral.
In the Galapagos, the abundant food supply makes the whitetip reef shark a docile creature. Despite their fear of humans, they show little aggression¹². This species is one of the few sharks observed mating in the wild, with successful reproduction resulting in the birth of one to five sharks, each about half a meter long. The young are born large enough to be independent and to hide from other shark species.