Cook Islands Biodiversity Database

Species Page

Back to: «« Search Page | « Results Page

Add to My List

Carcharhinus albimarginatus

Arava (MH)

Silvertip Shark

Multimedia & Additional Resources

Type	Description	Download
Image:	Adult - full body	20KB
Image:	Adult (colour illustration)	45KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Silvertip Shark, White-tipped Reef Shark; German Silberspitzenhai; French Requin à Pointe Blanche, Requin Aileron Blanc

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Alava (TS), Arava (TW MH); Other Polynesian - Mao Tapete (TAH)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Societies, Galapagos - tropical America; n. to s.Japan; s. to New Caledonia

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Marine, near-shore, Open lagoons and outer reef.

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: ; Injurous bite - serious

KEY FEATURES: To 2.7m TL.

Enlarged Image of 'Carcharhinus albimarginatus'

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea:
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
-					-

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
P					P

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Carcharhinus albimarginatus (Rüppell, 1837)
SYNONYMS: Carcharias albimarginatus

TAXONOMY: ANIMALIA; CHORDATA; GNATHOSTOMATA (Jawed Vertebrates); PISCES; CHONDRICHTHYES; Carcharhiniformes; CARCHARHINIDAE

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Cooks: listed (Johnson78). Tongareva: sighted Sims (Sims88 & EIA99); Suwarrow: "known" (Sims88 & EIA99).

References:
text p.32 Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
plate 7d Myers (1991 2nd Ed.) Fishes of Micronesia
p.18 Randall et al. (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef....
p.40 Burgess et al. (1988) Atlas of Marine Aquarium Fishes (TFH)
plate 2-03 Lieske & Myers (1996) Coral Reef Fishes
plate 2-01 Allen (1997) Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia....

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02, zD02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
Please refer to our use policy.

Biodiversity Database: More Options | Help

My List: View List | Edit List | Clear List