Stats

Lifespan

25-35 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Carnivore

Activity

Nocturnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Coral reef

Range

Atlantic and Pacific

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Live birth

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Vulnerable

About

This bottom-dwelling shark rests on the sandy floors of warm tropical reefs. It uses its muscular throat to create a vacuum that sucks prey out of rocky crevices.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   newborn pup

   A pup is born free-swimming and fully formed, hunting on its own from the first day.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A juvenile shark patrols shallow nursery waters, taking small fish and avoiding larger predators.
3. 3.
   subadult

   A near-adult shark moves to deeper water and takes larger prey, approaching mature size.
4. 4.
   adult

   Fully grown and ranging widely.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Chondrichthyes

Order

Orectolobiformes

Family

Ginglymostomatidae

Genus

Ginglymostoma

Species

Ginglymostoma cirratum