Biology
The whitetip reef shark is often observed « sleeping » on the ocean floor.
Unlike most sharks who must swim continuously in order to oxygenate, this species can remain motionless on the seabed. To do this, it controls the opening and closing of its mouth, creating a current of air that passes through its gills.
The whitetip reef shark mainly hunts at night, catching crustaceans, octopi and reef fish that it extracts from crevasses with a great deal of dexterity.
The whitetip reef shark is viviparous (live-bearing). After mating, followed by 12 months of gestation, the female delivers a clutch of one to five baby sharks measuring roughly 50 cm. The whitetip reef shark can be curious about divers but is not considered a dangerous species.
