---
title: Requiem shark (Carcharhinidae)
scientific_name: Carcharhinidae
common_name: Requiem shark
rank: Family
published: 2024-11-19T18:41:51.573Z
updated: 2026-08-03T21:11:14.072Z
tags: Requiem shark, Carcharhinidae, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark
---

# Requiem shark (*Carcharhinidae*)

## Quick facts

- **Rank:** Family
- **Scientific name:** Carcharhinidae
- **Body shape:** Torpedo - Streamlined and muscular, built for open-water speed - jacks, tunas, barracudas.
- **Species listed here:** 13

## How to recognise this group

- pointed or rounded snout
- large, round eyes
- five gill slits on each side
- first dorsal fin notably larger than second
- dorsal fins without spines

Requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae) are active, sleek-bodied predators. Members of this family typically exhibit a torpedo-shaped body, often grey or brownish on the dorsal side with a lighter underside, a pointed or rounded snout, and large, round eyes. All species are characterized by five gill slits and two dorsal fins; the first is notably larger than the second and lacks spines. Adult lengths range from approximately 70 cm (2.3 ft) for smaller species to over 4 m (13 ft) for the largest, such as the oceanic whitetip shark. They are viviparous, giving birth to live, fully developed young.

These migratory sharks inhabit various Red Sea environments, from shallow reef flats and slopes to open ocean waters down to several hundred metres. Their diet consists mainly of fish and cephalopods; larger species also prey on other sharks or marine mammals. While some requiem sharks are common sightings on reef dives, others are pelagic and encountered less frequently. Some species, like the grey reef shark, often form aggregations around reefs, while others remain solitary.


## Species (13)

- [Bignose Shark (Carcharhinus altimus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/bignose-shark)
- [Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/blacktip-reef-shark)
- [Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/blacktip-shark)
- [Dusky Shark (Carcharhinus obscurus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/dusky-shark)
- [Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/grey-reef-shark)
- [Oceanic Whitetip Shark (Carcharhinus longimanus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/oceanic-whitetip-shark)
- [Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/sandbar-shark)
- [Sicklefin Lemon Shark (Negaprion acutidens)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/sicklefin-lemon-shark)
- [Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/silky-shark)
- [Silvertip Shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/silvertip-shark)
- [Spinner Shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/spinner-shark)
- [Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/tiger-shark)
- [Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark/whitetip-reef-shark)

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/sharks/requiem-shark)*
*Updated: August 3, 2026*