Grey reef Shark: Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos Shark Jaws

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos

Grey Reef Shark

With its broadly rounded snout and gray coloration, this medium to large-sized shark can be easily recognized. The Grey reef shark grows to about eight feet in length and has a white ventral side with the tail edged in black. Since they are among the few species that do not have to continuously swim in order to breathe, they can be found lying passively on the ocean floor, often allowing cleaner fish to groom them for parasites.

Found the coral reefs and atolls of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, this shark can be very fierce when it perceives a threat. The Grey reef shark is known for its aggression, and has been seen using threat-display behavior in the presence of divers. This shark assumes a contorted body posture as it prepares to fight. It lowers its pectoral fins, arches its back, and swims in an exaggerated fashion with its snout raised. Several attacks on divers have been reported, but these usually took place when the shark was alone and felt threatened.

Most sharks use aggression primarily in their quest for prey. They do not usually attack others of their own species. However, the aggressive Grey reef will often choose fight over flight. Constantly swimming in popular diving areas, the Grey reef shark is often confronted by divers that may be perceived to the shark as competitors for food. Although some tales of the Grey reef shark encounters are possibly exaggerations, avoiding close contact is the best way to remain safe from a potential attack.

Although this shark is active during the day, often seen forming and swimming in schools, it is most active at night while in search of food. Feeding mostly on smaller fish, Grey reef sharks have also been known to eat squid, octopi, crabs, lobsters and shrimp.

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Chondrichthyes
Subclass:	Elasmobranchii
Order:	Carcharhiniformes
Family:	Carcharhinidae
Genus:	Carcharhinus
Species:	C. amblyrhynchos

Size	Item #	Price
7 1/2" X 7 3/4"	GR2	$70.00
8 1/2" X 7"	GR5	$75.00
9" X 7 1/2"	GR7	$75.00