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Facts about Blacktip Reef Sharks

[Phylum: Chordata] [Class: Chondrichthyes] [Order: Carcharhiniformes] [Family: Carcharhinidae]

The most distinguishing features of the genus Carcharhinus melanopterus have to be the short rounded snout and the prominent black tips on the dorsal and caudal fin.

This guide contains fun and interesting facts about black tip reef sharks, including where they still exist, what they eat, and how this black-finned shark reproduces.

Where Do Most Blacktip Reef Sharks Live?

Having a slim body means this particular species of requiem shark can manoeuvre its way through tight spaces.

Scuba divers will most likely see them prowling around select coral reef habitats of the Indo-Pacific region.

Here's the thing:

You may see big black tips resting on the open seabed. But, the small ones tend to seek refuge underneath overhangs, ledges, inside caves, or hiding around coral outcrops.

In general, reef-building coral polyps grow faster in shallow water that receives lots of sunlight. As a result, the favourite stomping ground for a black tip reef shark tends to be shallower than forty (40) metres (131 feet).

Blacktips also inhabit the shallow inshore waters of most of the popular destinations for scuba diving, especially:

In fact, requiem sharks will also hunt for prey in clear, shallow water close to the beach - even less than one metre deep. Hence, you may see its exposed dorsal fin breaking the surface of the water.

Pro Tip: For the most part, the blacktip reef shark species will spend most time at depths between eight (8) and forty (40) metres. Hence, Open Water divers should expect to encounter their presence in some of the best diving destinations around the world.

Blackfin Reef Shark Behaviour and Characteristics

Similar to grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) and whitetip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus), black tips are fast swimmers and very active predators.

Even though they often swim together in large groups, congregating in channels between reef flats, they are just as content when they're alone.

Which leads us to...

A defining characteristic of requiem sharks is that they need to swim forward with its mouth open to breathe. Even so, blacktip reef sharks have developed a mechanism that pumps water over the gills.

So, how big is a blacktip reef shark? In fact, after reaching full maturity an adult Carcharhinus melanopterus grows to an average length of about one and a half metres long (5.3 feet).

However, the maximum length for a blackfin reef shark is two (2) metres long and the heaviest ever recorded was 13.6 kilograms (30 pounds).

What Do Blacktip Reef Sharks Eat?

Because they are nocturnal predators, they wait for the darkness to fall before they start hunting for food. As they become active, they use electroreceptors to seek out weak or vulnerable bottom-dwelling prey, such as:

Often, black tip sharks will chase their prey into a small cave or narrow crevice as a hunting methodology. Having trapped the animal, they will jam their lean and slim body to block an escape and then use their snout to snare it before eating it.

How Do Blacktip Reef Sharks Reproduce?

In fact, blacktip reef sharks will not reach sexual maturity until they are at least eight (8) years of age. Plus, they use internal fertilisation to mate, meaning the male will fertilise the egg inside the female. In most cases, females will give birth to at least one, but no more than five, pups per litter.

Threats and Natural Predators

Despite their formidable hunting skills, several species of larger fish prey upon the most timid blacktip reef sharks, including giant groupers, grey reef sharks, and tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier).

In the wild, it is common for black tips to live for at least twenty five (25) years. But, human behaviour has made their future survival somewhat uncertain.

Why?

The use of line and trawl nets (e.g. in the commercial fishing industry) has diminished what was once an abundant population.

As a result, overfishing in some shallow water habitats means blacktip reef sharks, along with many other species of shark, die as bycatch in gillnets. Other detrimental factors include:

Important: According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, a recent assessment for the blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) lists the species as "vulnerable". Even so, many shark conservation groups consider their survival as being "threatened with extinction".

Related Information and Help Guides

Note: The short video [2:27 seconds] presented by 'Deep Marine Scenes' contains interesting footage of the blacktip reef shark, a small non aggressive requiem shark that spends most of the time resting on the seafloor.

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