The Whitetip Reef Shark's scientific name is Triaenodon obesus. It is a species of requiem shark, family Carcharhinidae, andis the only member of its genus. Unlike most other requiem sharks, the whitetip does not have to keep moving in order to pump water through its gills. Because of this they usually spend the day in shelters or caves waiting to hunt for food during the night. Although some reports say this shark can reach up to 2.1 meters (6.9 ft.) it is probably more likely that they reach about 1.6 m (5.2 ft). Even so, the size of this shark puts it out reach of normal aquarists. They can often be seen in larger public aquariums. The whitetip reef shark can be found in the entire Indo-Pacific region as well as the Red Sea. Whitetip reef sharks are only aggressive towards humans on rare occasions, though they are curious and may investigate swimmers closely. (less info)