Sealife guideThe silvertip sharkCarcharhinus albimarginatus

Last updated on 01/22/2025 at 11:36 PM

Taxonomy

Common name: Silvertip shark
French name: Requin pointe blanche, requin à pointes blanches de récif
Spanish name: Tiburón puntas blancas
Scientific name: Carcharhinus albimarginatus (Rüppell, 1837)
Family name: Carcharhinidae
Order name: Carcharhiniformes
Class name: Elasmobranchii

Description

The silvertip shark has the typical shark appearance with a streamlined body and a conical head. Its coloration is dark gray on the dorsal side and whitish on the ventral side. The silvertip shark is distinguished by a sharp white band that borders the tips and rear edges of all its fins, especially its first dorsal fin, pectoral fins and tail.

The silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) © Nicolás Sánchez Biezma | Dreamstime.com

Adult silvertip sharks typically measure around 5 to 6.5 feet in length, but females, whose maximum size exceeds that of males, can reach up to 10 feet in length.

Range

The silvertip shark is found in the tropical and temperate waters of the Indian ocean, the Pacific ocean and the Red sea.

Habitat

The silvertip shark is commonly found in the shallow waters of coral reefs and coastal areas but it can also inhabit deeper waters.

Diet

The silvertip shark is an active and agile predator that feeds primarily on fish and cephalopods.

Did you know ?

Be careful not to confuse the silvertip shark with the oceanic whitetip shark which has similar distinctive white markings but inhabits offshore waters, hence its name and is characterized by the very rounded tips of its fins.

The silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) © Yann Hubert | Dreamstime.com

The silvertip shark is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The silvertip shark appears in the IUCN Red List since 2021 within the category Vulnerable !

Within the same genus

Blacktip shark
(Carcharhinus limbatus)

Bull shark
(Carcharhinus leucas)

Caribbean reef shark
(Carcharhinus perezi)

Sandbar shark
(Carcharhinus plumbeus)

Blacknose shark
(Carcharhinus acronotus)

Oceanic whitetip shark
(Carcharhinus longimanus)

Blacktip reef shark
(Carcharhinus melanopterus)

Dusky shark
(Carcharhinus obscurus)

Within the same family

Blue shark
(Prionace glauca)

Lemon shark
(Negaprion brevirostris)

Whitetip reef shark
(Triaenodon obesus)

Tiger shark
(Galeocerdo cuvier)

Explore also

Small-spotted catshark
(Scyliorhinus canicula)

Brownbanded bamboo shark
(Chiloscyllium punctatum)

Port Jackson shark
(Heterodontus portusjacksoni)

Zebra bullhead shark
(Heterodontus zebra)

Short fin mako
(Isurus oxyrinchus)

Sand tiger shark
(Carcharias taurus)

Banded houndshark
(Triakis scyllium)

Dark shyshark
(Haploblepharus pictus)

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