| Cartilaginous Fishes | Sharks |
Whitetip Reef Shark
Triaenadon obesus
| Conservation Status: Safe for Now
- Courtesy of NMFS
- Photo taken in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands National Monument
The whitetip reef shark is also called the whitetip shark. Its common name comes from the distinctive white tips on its first dorsal and upper caudal fins. It is one of the most common sharks found in the coral reef ecosystem and the most common encountered by divers and snorkelers. Considered a small shark, it is distinguished by what appears to be a permanent scowl that results from the prominent brow ridges on its head.
Facts and Features
- Geographic Distribution
Indo-Pacific, central and east Pscific. Also off Central America and the Galapagos Islands.
- Amazing Facts
ISome native Hawaiians regard whitetip reef sharks as guardian spirits.
- At the Aquarium
Our whitetips inhabit the Aquarium's Shark Lagoon and Tropical Reef.