# Blacktip Reef Shark (*Carcharhinus melanopterus*) Blacktip Reef Sharks have black tips on their fins! They are commonly found in coral reefs. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Rare - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Coral reefs - **Also known as:** Blacktip Shark ![Blacktip Reef Shark](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425849/objects/4722.jpg) ## Appearance The Blacktip Reef Shark has a sleek, torpedo-shaped body with a distinctive dark or black tip on all of its fins, especially prominent on the dorsal fin. Its back is brownish-grey, fading to white on its belly, a pattern called countershading, helping it blend into its reef surroundings. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Elasmobranchii - **Order:** Carcharhiniformes - **Family:** Carcharhinidae - **Genus:** Carcharhinus ## Interesting facts - Baby Blacktip Reef Sharks are called 'pups' and are born ready to hunt on their own. - These sharks are often seen swimming in waters so shallow their dorsal fins stick out! - They are viviparous, giving birth to live pups, not laying eggs like some other sharks! - Unlike many fish, Blacktip Reef Sharks must swim constantly to breathe and stay alive. ## Special abilities - **Electro-Sense:** Blacktip Reef Sharks can sense faint electrical fields emitted by prey because of special pores called Ampullae of Lorenzini, helping them hunt in murky waters. - **Smell Master:** Blacktip Reef Sharks have an incredible sense of smell that helps them detect tiny amounts of blood in the water from far away, guiding them to food. - **Camouflage Crusader:** Blacktip Reef Sharks have countershading, a dark back and light belly, that helps them blend into the water from above and below, surprising prey. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 160-200 cm - **Weight:** 10-20 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-18 years - **Swim Speed:** 40 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 75 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding These speedy sharks love to eat small fish and squid found swimming in the warm, shallow reef waters. - **Primary Foods:** mullet, groupers, snappers, squid, octopus, crustaceans - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Bluestripe Snapper (*Lutjanus kasmira*) — A common reef fish prey. - **Hunts:** Foxface Rabbitfish (*Siganus vulpinus*) — A small reef fish that is hunted. - **Eaten by:** [Tiger Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tiger-shark) (*Galeocerdo cuvier*) — Larger sharks prey on them. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Blacktip Reef Shark? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Blacktip Reef Shark? 160-200 cm ### How much does Blacktip Reef Shark weigh? 10-20 kg ### How long does Blacktip Reef Shark live? 10-18 years ### What does Blacktip Reef Shark eat? These speedy sharks love to eat small fish and squid found swimming in the warm, shallow reef waters. ### How fast can Blacktip Reef Shark swim? 40 km/h ### Where is Blacktip Reef Shark usually found? Coral reefs ### How does Blacktip Reef Shark hunt? Pursuit ## Where to spot - [Seattle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seattle-aquarium-washington) — Washington, US · Zoo - [Shedd Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shedd-aquarium-illinois) — Illinois, US · Zoo - [London Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/london-aquarium) — England, GB · Aquarium - [New York Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/new-york-aquarium-new-york) — New York, US · Aquarium - [Seattle Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/seattle-aquarium) — Washington, US · Aquarium - [Waikiki Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/waikiki-aquarium-hawaii) — Hawaii, US · Aquarium [View all places to see Blacktip Reef Shark](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/blacktip-reef-shark) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Blacktip Reef Shark: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blacktip-reef-shark)