Carcharhinus

Carcharhinus is the type genus of the shark family Carcharhinidae, commonly known as requiem sharks, and is one of ten genera within that family, containing well over half of its described species. The genus currently comprises between 36 and 38 extant species and eight known extinct species, and researchers expect further species to be described as taxonomic revisions continue. Carcharhinus species are typically active, mid-to-large predatory sharks found in warm coastal and open-ocean waters worldwide, and the genus includes some of the most familiar and widely studied sharks, such as the bull shark and the blacktip shark, both significant in discussions of shark-human interactions and commercial and recreational fisheries. As the genus after which the family itself is named, Carcharhinus serves as the taxonomic reference point for the broader requiem shark group.