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 near the midsection of the body, and is high with a narrow, pointed tip. The large pectoral fins are pointed with black tips. 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 whereas average adult size is around 1.50 m and weights of about 18 kg. The maximum age of blacktips is thought to be at least 12 years.
World Range & Habitat
The Blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, 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 North 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. You can fish for Blacktip sharks in Everglades National Park, Flamingo,Miami or the Florida keys.