Triaenodon obesus

What to look for: A small slender shark with a disgusted expression and white- tipped fins Both dorsal fins are about the same size.

Colour: Dark grey with conspicuous white tips on first dorsal fin and caudal fins

Size: Adults are rare over 5.25 ft [1.6 mi, but a few individuals may reach nearly 7 ft (2.13m). Males mature at about 3.4 ft [1.05 mi, and reach 5.5 ft (1 68m). Females mature at 3.4 to 3.57 ft (1.05 to 1.09m), and reach at least 5 18 ft (1.58m).

Teeth: Small smooth-edged teeth with strong cusplets in both jaws.

Habitat: Common tropical inshore bottom-dwelling shark frequently found in shallow. clear water, on or near coral reefs

Distribution: Wide-ranging in the Indo-Pacific. In Australian waters it is found off Queensland, north and western Australia.

Prey - The shark feeds primarily on octopus, spiny lobsters and crabs, and bony fishes including eels, squirrelfishes, snappers, damselfishes, parrotfishes, surgeonfishes, and triggerfishes.

Reproduction - Viviparous; litter size ranges from 1 to 5 (usually 2 or 3) following a gestation period of at least 5 months. Size at birth is 20.5 to 23.6 inches [52 to 60 cm]. Females give birth in autumn or winter: at Enewetak Atoll they give birth in July, in French Polynesia they give birth from May to August. It appears that the shark may take 5 years to reach maturity, and has a maximum life-span of 25 year Right is a picture of whitetips mating under natural circumstances in the wild.