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: 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.
- Morales-Serrano Zenteno, J. I., & Adasme, N. (2026) An ancient shark tale: bridging knowledge gaps on the Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) and other elasmobranch species using traditional and local ecological knowledge in remote Rapa Nui. Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research, 54(4), 671-682.
You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.
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 9 September 2026.