Carcharhinidae
Requiem sharks belong to the family Carcharhinidae in the order Carcharhiniformes. These sharks are migratory and live-bearing, predominantly found in warm seas, although they can also tolerate brackish or fresh water environments. Notable species within this family include the bull shark, lemon shark, spinner shark, blacknose shark, blacktip shark, grey reef shark, blacktip reef shark, silky shark, dusky shark, blue shark, copper shark, oceanic whitetip shark, and whitetip reef shark.
Members of this family possess typical carcharhiniform characteristics. They have round eyes and one or two gill slits positioned over the base of their pectoral fins. Most species are viviparous, with the young being born fully developed. Size varies significantly among species, ranging from as small as 69 cm (2.26 ft) in adult length for the 🇦🇺 Australian sharpnose shark, to up to 4 m (13 ft) in adult length for the oceanic whitetip shark. Scientists believe that these sharks have pectoral fins of appropriate size and shape to optimize their energy expenditure during movement. Requiem sharks predominantly inhabit tropical regions but exhibit migratory behavior. Female sharks release a chemical signal into the ocean to indicate their readiness to mate, with mating usually occurring between spring and autumn.
Though requiem sharks are among the top five species involved in shark attacks on humans, it is important to note that accurately identifying individual species involved in these incidents can be challenging, leading to some degree of inaccuracy in attack records.
