Blacktip reef sharks (Carcharhinus melanopterus) are named very literally, they are light grey in colour but with distinguishable black tips on each of their fins and can be found hunting around coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
They usually stay within the same coral reef for years, dominating their environment rather than travelling to seek new territories. Because they occupy such a small space, they are extremely important to the ecology of the coral reef, controlling numbers and therefore protecting the coral.
The Blacktip reef sharks are very nervous and are skittish around humans to pose no real threat. As they swim in shallows their black tips are often spotted emerging from the surface of the water.
Type
Fish
What do they eat?
Small fish, crustaceans and cephalopods
Size
1.6m
Water Type
Salt
Where are we?
Indo-Pacific