Whitetip Reef Shark: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Coral Reef · day 2 of 7

Five facts

1. By day, whitetip reef sharks lie still in caves. Unlike their requiem shark cousins, they pump water over their gills instead of swimming nonstop.
2. Its long, slender body lets it squeeze into reef cracks and holes to pull out hidden fish, crustaceans and octopus.
3. At night its hunting range swells to roughly 1 km². By day it shrinks to just 0.05 km².
4. After more than three years, about 40 % of tagged sharks at Rangiroa Atoll were still on the same reef where they were caught.
5. At Johnston Atoll, none moved beyond 3 km in a year.

The quiz

1. How can a whitetip reef shark rest in a cave?

• By floating to the surface
• By sleeping upside down
• By pumping water over its gills (correct)
• By burying itself in sand

It pumps water over its gills, so it can lie still instead of swimming.

2. What lets it squeeze into tight reef cracks?

• Its long, slender body (correct)
• Its sharp fins
• Its huge jaws
• Its bright white tips

Its long, slender body lets it force its way into cracks and holes after hidden prey.

3. How big is its hunting range during the day?

• About 1 km²
• About 10 km²
• About 50 km²
• Just 0.05 km² (correct)

By day the range shrinks to just 0.05 km².

4. After more than three years, how many tagged sharks at Rangiroa Atoll were still on their first reef?

• About 40 % (correct)
• About 4 %
• About 90 %
• None

About 40 % were still on the reef where they were first caught.

5. How far did Johnston Atoll sharks move in a year?

• Over 100 km
• No more than 3 km (correct)
• About 30 km
• About 300 km

None moved beyond 3 km in a year.

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