One of the 26 sharks on WAnimals
Cartilaginous fish · Carcharhiniformes · Carcharhinidae
Blacktip Reef Shark
Carcharhinus melanopterus
It faces a high risk of extinction in the wild over the medium term. See full glossary
The blacktip reef shark or reef shark is a species of requiem shark identifiable by the black edges on its dorsal and caudal fins. They are abundant on the tropical coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, preferring shallow coastal waters. Most blacktip sharks are found on reef ledges and sandy floors, although they are also known to enter brackish and fresh water. It usually reaches a length of 1.6 metres.
Weight
10 kg – 30 kg
Size
1.2 m – 2 m
Lifespan
25 years
Diet
Carnivore
Feeds mainly on other animals.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Moderate
Fun facts
- It lives in water so shallow that it often swims with its dorsal fin and part of its back out, an iconic image of the coral lagoons of the Indo-Pacific.
- It is extraordinarily faithful to its territory: tagging studies show individuals staying for years on the same stretch of reef, of barely a few square kilometres.
- It has been documented forming preferred social associations: some individuals repeatedly seek each other out and swim together for years, a social behaviour once thought not to exist in sharks.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - cartilaginous skeleton (fish)
- Habitat & environment
- Coral reefs, shallow lagoons and tidal flats of the tropical Indo-Pacific
- Birth weight
- 33 - 52 cm at birth
- Size at birth
- 33-52 cm at birth; it is placental viviparous
- Sexual maturity
- 6 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 11 months of gestation
- Litter / clutch size
- 4 live young
Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carcharhinus_melanopterus
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year round in shallow Indo-Pacific lagoons and reefs; at high tide it comes into water barely half a metre deep.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 20 de 272 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Blacktip Reef Shark — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
VulnerableSilky Shark
Carcharhinus falciformis
Near ThreatenedBull Shark
Carcharhinus leucas
Critically EndangeredOceanic Whitetip Shark
Carcharhinus longimanus
Near ThreatenedTiger Shark
Galeocerdo cuvier
Least ConcernGalapagos Shark
Carcharhinus galapagensis
EndangeredGrey Reef Shark
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos
How to help
The blacktip reef shark is classified as vulnerable. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 13 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about blacktip reef shark.
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