Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi), recorded as Endangered
Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Caribbean reef shark

Carcharhinus perezi

Caribbean reef shark is a shark or ray in the family Carcharhinidae (order Carcharhiniformes) — Carcharhinus perezi, recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Carcharhinus perezi
Taxonomy
Elasmobranchii · Carcharhiniformes · Carcharhinidae · Carcharhinus

Appearance

The coloration is dark gray or gray-brown above and white or white-yellow below, with an inconspicuous white band on the flanks. The fins are not prominently marked, and the undersides of the paired fins, the anal fin, and the lower lobe of the caudal fin are dusky. The snout is rather short, broad, and rounded, without prominent flaps of skin beside the nostrils.

It usually measures 2–2.5 m (6.6–8.2 ft) long. The maximum recorded length is 3 m (9.8 ft) and the maximum reported weight is 70 kg (150 lb).

Range and habitat

The Caribbean reef shark occurs throughout the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, from North Carolina in the north to Brazil in the south, among them Bermuda, the northern Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea. It prefers shallow waters on or around coral reefs, and is commonly found near the drop-offs at the reefs' outer edges. It is found in the tropical waters of the western Atlantic Ocean from Florida to Brazil, and is the most commonly encountered reef shark in the Caribbean Sea.

Even so, enforcement against illegal fishing is lacking in some of these reserves, and many areas in that this species is abundant are not protected.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Breeding

Sharks and rays grow slowly and have few young. A fishery that treats them as bycatch can empty a coastal form.

In crisis

Measuring up to 3 m (9.8 ft) long, the Caribbean reef shark is one of the largest apex predators in the reef ecosystem, feeding on a variety of fishes and cephalopods. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the Caribbean reef shark as Endangered. Its population has declined off Belize and Cuba from overfishing and exploitation continues in other regions.

Caribbean reef shark is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Caribbean reef shark, Wikidata item Q592165. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Borneo shark (Carcharhinus borneensis), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Borneo shark

Carcharhinus borneensis
Photograph of Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Oceanic whitetip shark

Carcharhinus longimanus
Photograph of Pacific smalltail shark (Carcharhinus cerdale), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Pacific smalltail shark

Carcharhinus cerdale
Photograph of Pondicherry shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Pondicherry shark

Carcharhinus hemiodon

Quick answers

What is Caribbean reef shark?
Caribbean reef shark is a shark or ray in the family Carcharhinidae (order Carcharhiniformes) — Carcharhinus perezi.
What is the conservation status of Caribbean reef shark?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Carcharhinus perezi. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Caribbean reef shark live?
The Caribbean reef shark occurs throughout the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, from North Carolina in the north to Brazil in the south, among them Bermuda, the northern Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea.
Why is Caribbean reef shark in crisis?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has assessed the Caribbean reef shark as Endangered. Its population has declined off Belize and Cuba from overfishing and exploitation continues in other regions.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Carcharhinus perezi?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Caribbean reef shark a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.