Reproductive behaviour of whitetip reef sharks in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico

                                                                                          Photo Credit: © Mauricio Hoyos

Reproductive behaviour of whitetip reef sharks Triaenodon obesus in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico

Edgar Eduardo Becerril-García | Arturo Ayala-Bocos | Edgar Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla

Environmental Biology of Fishes (2026) 109:107

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-026-01876-y

Abstract

The whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) is a placental viviparous shark whose reproductive behaviour has rarely been documented in the wild. This study presents the first detailed records of mating behaviour and pup occurrence in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico. Between 2015 and 2021, four reproductive observations were documented through scientific expeditions and citizen science initiatives, including the presence of pups at Roca Partida and three mating events at San Benedicto Island and Roca Partida. Mating occurred during daylight hours (08:00–14:00 h), at depths between 10 and 45 m and water temperatures of 24–26 °C. Courtship involved one or two males grasping the female's pectoral fins while multiple additional males pursued the mating pair. A previously undescribed behaviour was recorded, with more than fifteen males simultaneously following and biting the pelvic region of mating individuals. These observations confirm that the Revillagigedo Archipelago functions as an important reproductive habitat for this threatened shark species and highlight the value of marine protected areas and citizen science in documenting rare reproductive behaviours.

Keywords

Elasmobranch, Oceanic islands, Reef, Reproduction, Threatened species