The whitetip reef shark is a docile, nocturnal shark residing in tropical, shallow waters and is closely associated with coral reef habitats. Averaging 1.6 meters in length, the whitetip reef shark is considered a medium-sized shark, although it can grow up to 2 m. This shark spends the daytime in caves or crevices in the reef but becomes active at night. Throughout its lifetime, a whitetip reef shark will stay within a small radius of its cave or crevice, returning daily to the same refuge. This behavior exemplifies what is known as site fidelity, and the longest recorded travel distance for this species was only 3 km. The whitetip reef shark specializes in bottom feeding, as its ventrally-located mouth is perfect for scooping up crabs, clams or octopuses from the sea floor; however, the shark’s diet mainly consists of reef fishes. While the whitetip reef shark is occasionally preyed upon by bigger sharks, its biggest threat by far is overfishing by humans. Currently, the whitetip reef shark is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, and its population is decreasing.
