Sealife guideThe blacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatus
Last updated on 01/22/2025 at 11:36 PM
Taxonomy
English names
Blacktip shark
French namesRequin bordé
Spanish namesTiburón macuiraTiburón volador
Scientific nameCarcharhinus limbatus (Müller & Henle, 1839)
FamilyCarcharhinidae
OrderCarcharhiniformes
ClassElasmobranchii
Description
The blacktip shark is a medium-sized shark with a streamlined body, often recognizable by the black or dark tips of its fins.

The blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) © Klomsky | Dreamstime.com
Geographic range
The blacktip shark is widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical waters of oceans around the world.
The blacktip shark is found in the western Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of North and South America, from the state of Massachusetts in the north to the coasts of Brazil in the south. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, it inhabits the west coast of Africa, from Senegal in the north to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the south, including Madeira and the Canary islands. It is also present in the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean sea and the Mediterranean sea.
In the Indo-Pacific region, the blacktip shark is found along the coasts of the Persian Gulf, the Red sea, Madagascar and from west to east, the eastern coasts of Africa to the coasts of Australia and Southeast Asia, including the islands of Tahiti, the Marquesas and Hawaii.
the eastern Pacific Ocean, the blacktip shark is found along the western coasts of the Americas, from Baja California in Mexico to Peru, including the Galapagos islands.
Habitat
The blacktip shark prefers the shallow waters of coastal areas, reefs and estuaries but can also be observed in deeper waters.
Diet
The blacktip shark feeds on fish, cephalopods and crustaceans.
Did you know ?
The blacktip shark is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The blacktip shark appears in the IUCN Red List since 2021 within the category Vulnerable !
Within the same genus

Blacktip reef sharkCarcharhinus melanopterus

Bull sharkCarcharhinus leucas

Copper sharkCarcharhinus brachyurus

Dusky sharkCarcharhinus obscurus

Galapagos sharkCarcharhinus galapagensis

Sandbar sharkCarcharhinus plumbeus

Silky SharkCarcharhinus falciformis

Silvertip sharkCarcharhinus albimarginatus
Within the same family

Blue sharkPrionace glauca

Lemon sharkNegaprion brevirostris

Tiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvier

Whitetip reef sharkTriaenodon obesus
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