Grey Reef Shark

Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos is a moderately sized reef shark, typically reaching 1.7 to 2 meters in length, with a broad, blunt snout and a distinctive plain or dusky black margin on the trailing edge of its tail fin. It is highly social, often forming daytime aggregations near reef drop-offs and channels, becoming more active and solitary at night when hunting. As a mid-to-upper level predator, it feeds on reef fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans, playing an important role in regulating prey populations and maintaining reef trophic structure.

This species is widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific, inhabiting marine neritic zones, particularly coral reef systems, atolls, and drop-offs from the Red Sea and East Africa to French Polynesia and beyond, spanning dozens of nations and territories including Australia, Indonesia, the Maldives, and numerous Pacific island states.

The species faces significant pressure from targeted and incidental fishing, including capture for the shark fin trade, as bycatch in longline and net fisheries, and from unregulated recreational fishing activities. Its slow reproductive rate, late maturity, and strong site fidelity make populations slow to recover from depletion. Habitat degradation from coral reef alteration further compounds these pressures by reducing prey availability and shelter.

Conservation measures include protections within marine protected areas and shark sanctuaries established in parts of its range, such as Palau, French Polynesia, and portions of Australian waters, along with international trade restrictions on shark fin products under CITES. Enforcement and monitoring remain inconsistent across much of its range.

Population trends indicate ongoing decline, and without stronger regional enforcement of fishing regulations, the species' recovery outlook remains uncertain.