Gray Reef Shark

Meet the Gray Reef Shark!

The main characteristic of the Grey Reef Shark is that it spends its life in the deep ocean, far from the coasts.

It has a stocky body in which the first dorsal fin stands out, which is very large, and stands well forward. It is found throughout the Pacific Ocean, usually in tropical and subtropical waters and in shallow, sandy bottoms. It also lurks around harbors, estuaries and entrances to bays and rivers with turbid waters, although it is an exclusively saltwater animal.

What are its habits?

This type of shark is omnivorous and opportunistic; it includes a wide variety of small and medium-sized prey: fish, octopus, squid, rays, bivalves, shrimp and crabs.

After fertilization, the embryo feeds by means of a yolk sac (this is called viviparous birth). Gestation can last from eight to 12 months, depending on the area where they are found, and ends with a litter ranging from seven to 13 pups.

Grey sharks perform seasonal migrations, which are started by a group of males. Females then join on their own.

Conservation

Extinct

Extinct in the wild

Critically endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Near threatened

Least concern

Insufficient data

Not evaluated

DID YOU KNOW ...

In 2002 the first offspring of this species were born at the Madrid Zoo, in a vulnerable situation according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).