Scientific name: Carcharhinus melanopterus
Size: Generally 5.3 feet
Color: brown gray above, white below
Distinguishing feature: All fins have black tips, with clear borders
Where did we see it: Thailand, French polynesia, Mayotte, Maldives, Raja Ampat
Scientific name: Carcharhinus melanopterus
Size: Generally 5.3 feet
Color: brown gray above, white below
Distinguishing feature: All fins have black tips, with clear borders
Where did we see it: Thailand, French polynesia, Mayotte, Maldives, Raja Ampat
The most crossed reef shark in the reef. Inoffensive, it only eats small fish early in the morning or late at night (around 5am and 5pm).
This shark is very important for the reefs, it feeds effectively by eating sick fish or end of life fish and, being sedentary, prevents larger species to arrive too close to the coasts.
The tiger shark has slender marks similars to the lines of tigers, hence its name.
When it is juvenile, these marks are round and not vertical. They change when it grows.
Some sharks can stay motionless on the sand (white tips reef sharks, nurse sharks, etc.).
These sharks don't have to swim to bring oxygen to their gills like other sharks (grey, hammerheads tc.)
Parrotfish create a protective envelope around them when they are sleeping.
So, don't put the light on them during night dive to don't to wake them up and break this envelope.
