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Blacktip reef shark

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Insects, Reptiles and
Fish

          Not to be confused with blacktip shark.

               iBlacktip reef shark

                             Conservation status

   Near Threatened (LR/nt)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Animalia
   Phylum:   Chordata
   Class:    Chondrichthyes
   Subclass: Elasmobranchii
   Order:    Carcharhiniformes
   Family:   Carcharhinidae
   Genus:    Carcharhinus
   Species:  C. melanopterus

                                Binomial name

   Carcharhinus melanopterus
   ( Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)
   Range of blacktip reef shark
   Range of blacktip reef shark

   The blacktip reef shark, Carcharhinus melanopterus, is a shark of
   tropical and warm temperate seas. It is often confused with the
   blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus.

Distribution

   One of the most common sharks found in shallow (sometimes as shallow as
   30 cm) water around coral reefs of Indo-Pacific and Caribbean waters.
   The water they swim in is usually 20–27°  C (70–80º  F). Blacktip reef
   sharks do not venture into tropical lakes and rivers far from the
   ocean.

Appearance

   As its name suggests, the tips of the shark's pectoral fins and dorsal
   fin are black, with a white underside. Their skin is brownish in colour
   on the top-half of their bodies. It has been recorded at up to 190 cm
   (6  ft) in length. Its snout is blunt and rounded. The gray reef shark
   looks similar, and is also common, but is distinguished by its stockier
   and gray body and its lack of black tip on the dorsal fin. Blacktip
   reef sharks are not considered a real threat because they are usually
   small.

Diet

   A blacktip reef shark's diet consists mainly of reef fish, but they
   will also feed on sturgeon and mullet.

Reproduction, behaviour, and interaction with humans

   Snorkeler with blacktip reef shark
   Enlarge
   Snorkeler with blacktip reef shark

   Reproduction is viviparous, with 2 to 4 pups in a litter. Before giving
   birth, female blacktip reef sharks will incubate their young for 16
   months. The shark's size at birth ranges from 33–52 cm.

   This species is not considered social, but can been seen in small
   groups. While generally shy, they often are curious about snorkelers
   and scuba divers. As with most sharks, the body is bent into a sort of
   "S" shape when the shark feels threatened. Blacktip reef sharks are
   harmless unless provoked. Incidents generally involve hand feeding or
   spear fishing, possibly in combination with low visibility.

   The blacktip is one of only a few sharks that can jump fully out of the
   water, a behaviour called breaching. They have also been observed
   surfacing to look around (spy-hopping).
   Black tip reef shark
   Enlarge
   Black tip reef shark

Population decline

   Blacktip reef sharks are often the bycatch from other fisheries and are
   often wasted. The blacktip populations are declining, and so are the
   population of many other shark species. Their fins are used for shark
   fin soup - when caught the shark's fin is cut off and the shark is
   thrown back into the water to die. This is done by the thousands, which
   may be a big factor in why the population is declining. The numbers of
   blacktip reef sharks have declined in recent years.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacktip_reef_shark"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
