Blacktip Reef Shark

Carcharhinus melanopterus

Phylum

Chordata

 Blacktip Reef Shark

Class

Chondrichthyes

Order

Carcharhiniformes

Family

Carcharhinidae

 

Common names :

Blacktip reef shark,

Blacktip reef whaler, Black shark.
Diet : Small fish.
Reproduction :

Viviparous : Females give birth to up to 4 live young per litter after 16 months gestation. Each pup is between 30 to 50 centimetres in length.
Size :

Maximum 1.8 metres  Average female 1.1 metres Average male 1.3 metres

 
Distribution of Blacktip Reef Shark Distribution : Tropical seas from East Africa to the mid Pacific ocean. Has  now spread to the East Mediterranean  through the Suez canal. Found in water as shallow as 30 centimetres. Very  common in lagoons and along coral  reefs. 

 

Danger to man : Potentially dangerous although considered more of a hazard. Has bitten the feet and legs of swimmers especially if food is in the vicinity, but never seriously.
Economic Importance : None.
Other Comments : Along with the Grey reef  and the Whitetip shark, the Blacktip reef shark is the most common species along coral reefs in the Pacific ocean.