Description & Behavior
The blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus (Müller and Henle, 1839), aka blackfin
shark, black-tip shark, black tip shark, blacktip whaler, black-tipped shark, and grey
shark, are robust sharks with a moderately long, pointed snout. The first dorsal fin is
slightly posterior to the pectoral fins high on the midsection of the body and has a
narrow, pointed tip. This species does not have an interdorsal ridge. They are dark gray
or blue to brown on the dorsal side with a white ventral side and a white band across the
flank. The pectoral fins, first and second dorsal fins, pelvic fins, and lower caudal lobe
are black tipped, although the dark coloring tends to fade with age. The anal fins of the
blacktip do not have black tips, unlike the similar spinner shark, which often develops
black tips on the anal fin as they mature.
The maximum reported length of the blacktip shark is 2.55 m; average adult size is
around 1.50 m and weighs about 18 kg. The maximum age of blacktips is thought to be at
least 12 years.
World Range & Habitat
The blacktip shark is found in tropical and subtropical coastal, shelf, and island waters in
the Atlantic, where they migrate seasonally between Brazil and Nova Scotia; the Gulf of
Mexico and Caribbean Sea, throughout the Mediterranean, and along the central West
coast of Africa. In the Pacific they range from Southern California to Peru, including the
Sea of Cortez, the Galápagos Islands, Hawaii, Tahiti, and other South Pacific Islands, to
the northern coast of Australia. In the Indian Ocean they range from South Africa and
Madagascar up to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, throughout India's coast, and east to the
coast of China.
The blacktip shark can be found in both inshore and offshore waters, but they tend to
stay close to the coasts at depths of 30 m or less. They are often seen near river mouths,
bays, and mangroves, although they do not penetrate far into freshwater.
The blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus (Müller and Henle, 1839), aka blackfin
shark, black-tip shark, black tip shark, blacktip whaler, black-tipped shark, and grey
shark, are robust sharks with a moderately long, pointed snout. The first dorsal fin is
slightly posterior to the pectoral fins high on the midsection of the body and has a
narrow, pointed tip. This species does not have an interdorsal ridge. They are dark gray
or blue to brown on the dorsal side with a white ventral side and a white band across the
flank. The pectoral fins, first and second dorsal fins, pelvic fins, and lower caudal lobe
are black tipped, although the dark coloring tends to fade with age. The anal fins of the
blacktip do not have black tips, unlike the similar spinner shark, which often develops
black tips on the anal fin as they mature.
The maximum reported length of the blacktip shark is 2.55 m; average adult size is
around 1.50 m and weighs about 18 kg. The maximum age of blacktips is thought to be at
least 12 years.
World Range & Habitat
The blacktip shark is found in tropical and subtropical coastal, shelf, and island waters in
the Atlantic, where they migrate seasonally between Brazil and Nova Scotia; the Gulf of
Mexico and Caribbean Sea, throughout the Mediterranean, and along the central West
coast of Africa. In the Pacific they range from Southern California to Peru, including the
Sea of Cortez, the Galápagos Islands, Hawaii, Tahiti, and other South Pacific Islands, to
the northern coast of Australia. In the Indian Ocean they range from South Africa and
Madagascar up to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, throughout India's coast, and east to the
coast of China.
The blacktip shark can be found in both inshore and offshore waters, but they tend to
stay close to the coasts at depths of 30 m or less. They are often seen near river mouths,
bays, and mangroves, although they do not penetrate far into freshwater.
| Black-Tip Shark |
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Carcharhinus
species: Carcharhinus
limbatus
Full Taxonomy (ITIS)
Class: Chondrichthyes
Order: Carcharhiniformes
Family: Carcharhinidae
Genus: Carcharhinus
species: Carcharhinus
limbatus
Full Taxonomy (ITIS)
