Caribbean Reef Shark
Carcharhinus perezii
How to tell it
Bulky gray reef shark with a short blunt snout and dusky (not black-tipped) fin undersides — the default shark on Keys reefs.
- Not a blacktip shark? That one crisp black fin tips, pointed snout. (Blacktip Shark)
- Not a sandbar shark? That one much taller first dorsal. (Sandbar Shark)
- Not a bull shark? That one broader head, stockier still. (Bull Shark)
Rules for
Every state
| State | Size | Bag | Season | Today |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Harvest prohibited | Zero | Closed year-roundAL MRD 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Connecticut | Take prohibited | 0 | Closed year-roundCT DEEP 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Delaware | Harvest prohibited | 0 | No harvest permittedDE DNREC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Florida (Atlantic) | No harvest | No harvest | Closed year-roundFWC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Florida (Gulf) | No harvest | No harvest | Closed year-roundFWC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Georgia | No harvest | No harvest | Closed year-roundGA DNR CRD 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Louisiana | No harvest | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundLDWF 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Maine | Take prohibited | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundME DMR 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Maryland | No take | 0 | ClosedMD DNR 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Massachusetts | N/A | No possession | Closed year-roundMA DMF 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Mississippi | No take | No take | Closed year-roundMS DMR 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| New Jersey | Prohibited | 0 | No open seasonNJ DEP 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| New York | No possession | 0 | Closed all yearNY DEC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Rhode Island | N/A | No harvest or possession | Closed year-roundRI DEM 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| South Carolina | No harvest | Possession prohibited | Closed year-roundSC DNR 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Texas | No harvest | 0 | Closed year-roundTPWD 2026 · checked | Put it back |
| Virginia | No harvest | 0 | ClosedVMRC 2026 · checked | Put it back |
Not specifically regulated in New Hampshire, North Carolina: each state’s rule for unlisted species applies there (on its page).
On the table
Prohibited in Florida — release.
In the app
Point the camera at a caribbean reef shark and the name appears before you take the picture, with these rules for the water you’re standing in. No signal needed, and every catch goes in the log.
Get the appQuestions anglers ask about caribbean reef shark
Where is caribbean reef shark harvest prohibited?
Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida (Atlantic), Florida (Gulf), Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia. Release it there.
How do you tell caribbean reef shark from blacktip shark?
Caribbean Reef Shark has this: Bulky gray reef shark with a short blunt snout and dusky (not black-tipped) fin undersides — the default shark on Keys reefs.. Blacktip Shark crisp black fin tips, pointed snout.