Whitetip Reef Shark

Triaenodon obesus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Elasmobranchii
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Triaenodon
Species: Triaenodon obesus

The whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) is a slender grey shark with white-tipped fins that often rests on the bottom by day. Unlike most sharks, it can pump water over its gills while lying still.

It grows to about 1.6 m and hunts at night, wriggling into crevices after fish, octopus and crustaceans. Groups often rest together in caves or under ledges.

In the Philippines it is found on reefs and walls, especially at offshore sites, and is one of the sharks divers see most often.

Photo: Wiljam Eklund, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist