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Reef Shark

Carcharhinus perezii

Fish · family Carcharhinidae · order Carcharhiniformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G4: apparently secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G4 Apparently Secure[2]
Native in
4 states[3]

The Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezii) is a fish in the family Carcharhinidae, also called the Caribbean Reef Shark[4][5]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act, and NatureServe records it as native in Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey and Texas[1][3].

Conservation status

NatureServe gives the Reef Shark a global rank of G4, which means Apparently Secure[2]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Endangered[6]. The US Fish and Wildlife Service data does not list it as endangered or threatened under the ESA[1]. NatureServe estimates the total adult population at 100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals worldwide[7]. Its notes say the population may be stabilizing after long-term declines[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G4 (Apparently Secure)
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[6] Endangered
Total population (NatureServe estimate)[7] 100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals

Where Reef Shark lives

NatureServe lists the Reef Shark as native in 4 US states and territories: Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey and Texas[3]. NatureServe also gives each of these states its own conservation rank, shown in the table on this page[9]. Public observation records on GBIF come mostly from Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas and Delaware[10]. Those counts follow where people look and report, not how many animals live there[10].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: native, state rank SNRNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: native, state rank S3LAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank SUTXFlorida: native, state rank S3FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[9].
Show state ranks (4 states)
StateRankMeaning
FloridaS3Vulnerable
LouisianaS3Vulnerable
New JerseySNRNot Ranked
TexasSUUnrankable

When to look for it

Public records of the Reef Shark on GBIF are highest in May, June and July[11]. These records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[11].

January: 7 recordsJanFebruary: 8 recordsFebMarch: 18 recordsMarApril: 11 recordsAprMay: 43 recordsMayJune: 80 recordsJunJuly: 52 recordsJulAugust: 25 recordsAugSeptember: 8 recordsSepOctober: 4 recordsOctNovember: 13 recordsNovDecember: 5 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[11].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January7
February8
March18
April11
May43
June80
July52
August25
September8
October4
November13
December5

Where to see it

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Delaware[10]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Reef Shark endangered?
It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G4, Apparently Secure, while the IUCN category it records is Endangered[2][6].
Where does the Reef Shark live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey and Texas[3]. Most GBIF records come from Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas and Delaware[10].
When is the Reef Shark reported most often?
GBIF records peak in May, June and July[11]. This shows when people report sightings, not how many animals there are[11].
How many Reef Sharks are there?
NatureServe estimates the total adult population at 100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals worldwide[7].

Facts and sources

  1. Reef Shark is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Reef Shark: G4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Reef Shark as native in 4 US states and territories: Florida, Louisiana, New Jersey, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Reef Shark (Carcharhinus perezii) is a fish in the family Carcharhinidae, order Carcharhiniformes. NatureServe Explorer
  5. Other English names listed by NatureServe for Reef Shark: Caribbean Reef Shark. NatureServe Explorer
  6. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Endangered. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe estimate of total adult population (global, as a range): 100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals. NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe notes on trend for Reef Shark. NatureServe Explorer
  9. NatureServe state ranks for Reef Shark (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  10. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Reef Shark: Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, Texas, Delaware. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  11. GBIF observation records of Reef Shark in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.