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Blacktip Reef Shark
Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
The Blacktip Reef Shark can be recognised by its colouration. It is yellow-brown to grey above, white below and has a dark stripe running from below the first dorsal fin to above the ventral fin.
The first dorsal fin and lower caudal fin lobes have distinct black tips. The black tip of the dorsal fin is sometimes highlighted by a white band below it. All other fins usually have smaller black tips.
The Blacktip Reef Shark grows to about 1.8m in length although in Australia it only reaches 1.4m. It is not considered dangerous to people because of its small size.
This species is found in shallow marine waters throughout the tropical Indo-West and Central Pacific. In Australia it is recorded from the central coast of Western Australia around the tropical north and south to southern Queensland.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Last, P.R. & J.D. Stevens. 1994 Sharks and Rays of Australia. CSIRO. Pp. 513.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
