Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Carcharhinus galapagensis
tiburón de Galápagos, Galápagos shark
Silver-gray to gary-brown; white to yellowish white underside. Somewhat rounded snout; long, slender pectoral fins with wide base and pointed tips that are often dusky on underside. Iris silver-gary. Size: Adults average 1.8 to 2.4 m.
Habitat: Clear waters in and around coral reefs and rocky bottoms.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Elasmobranchii
Order
Carcharhiniformes
Family
Carcharhinidae
Genus
Carcharhinus
Species
galapagensis
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: Carcharias galapagensis Snodgrass & Heller, 1905
Origin: Native
Distribution: Cosmopolitan in tropical waters, common around islands in the eastern Pacific from central Baja California to Peru, including Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo, Revillagigedos and Ecuador in the Galápagos Islands.
- Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
- Banks, S. Vera, M. & Chiriboga, A. (2009) Establishing Reference Points to Assess Long-Term Change in Zooxanthellate Coral Communities of the Northern Galapagos Coral Reefs. J. Sci. Conserv. in the Galapagos Islands, p. 43-64.
- Bennett, M.B. Gordon, I. & Kyne, P.M. (2003) Carcharhinus galapagensis www.iucnredlist.org
- Constant, P. (2007) Marine Life of the Galapagos. The Diver's guide to Fishes, Whales, Dolphins and marine Invertebrates, 307 pp.
- Edgar, G.J. Fariña, J.M., Calvopiña, M., Martínez, C. & Banks, S. (2002) Comunidades submareales rocosas II: Peces y macroinvertebrados móviles. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 68-97.
- Froese, R. Pauly, D. (eds.) (2010) FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org
- Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
- Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
- IUCN (2010) IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 26 April 2010.
- McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Carcharhinus galapagensis", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=7844. Accessed 13 December 2025.