Caribbean reef shark
Carcharhinus perezi · Also called: reef shark, Tiburón de arrecife del Caribe, tiburón de arrecife
Protection: Commercial fishers may not catch it in US waters. IUCN: Near Threatened.[1]
Facts
- Dark gray or gray-brown on top, white below, with a short rounded snout and dusky undersides on the fins.[1]
- The most common shark on Caribbean coral reefs, usually near drop-offs on the outer reef edge, mostly in shallow water.[1]
- Attacks on people are rare and more likely when the shark feels cornered with no way out.[1]
Related guide: see the guide →
Where it's been reported (4)
From the sources on each dive site's page. Sightings are never guaranteed.
- Tamarindo · Culebra“nurse and reef sharks” (Culebra Divers via SSI Scubago / MyDiveGuide)
- Black Wall · Guánica & La Parguera“bar jacks, schooling Atlantic spadefish, great barracuda, Caribbean reef sharks, flamingo tongue snails” (Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center)
- La Parguera Wall · Guánica & La Parguera“green moray eels, large stingrays, sea turtles, reef sharks; occasionally hammerheads” (Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center)
- Playa Mujeres · Isla de Mona & Monito“Caribbean reef shark” (García-Sais J.R. et al., UPR-Mayagüez, for DRNA/NOAA (NOAA Institutional Repository noaa:557))
Sources
- Caribbean Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezi) species profile · Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida (accessed 2026-10-22)
Last checked 2026-10-22