Blacktip reef shark
| Diet | Fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods and mollusks |
|---|---|
| Size | Length: Up to 6.5 ft (2 m) |
| Type | Sharks & Rays |
| Range | Persian Gulf, Mediterranean, Red and Arabian Seas, Indian and West-Central Pacific Oceans in shallow water on coral reefs |
| Habitat | Shallow waters over coral reefs |
About the Blacktip reef shark
The blacktip reef shark is one of the "sharkiest"-looking species among these predators at Shedd. Blacktips are obligate ram ventilators, which means that they have to keep swimming to push oxygen-carrying water over their gills to breathe.
Did you know?
- These fish also live in mangrove areas, moving in and out with the tide. Blacktip reef sharks even venture into fresh water but don’t swim too far in from the ocean.
- They might look like babies, but black tip reef sharks are considered adults at about 3 feet.
- Due to its small size, it often falls prey to larger sharks in the wild.
- The sharks and rays living in this habitat receive regular training from the aquarists. These sharks respond to visual and auditory cues that signal meal times.
- Every year - or even every other year - blacktip reef sharks give birth to live pups that average 2-4 per litter.
IUCN Red List Conservation Status
Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Plan®
This species is part of a program to support healthy, genetically diverse animal populations.
A species to watch
Right now, blacktips are one of the most common reef sharks throughout the Indo-Pacific region, from Africa to Hawaii and Japan to northern Australia. But the species is considered "near threatened." Blacktips' small litters and long gestation means populations could rapidly decline from overfishing, drowning in abandoned fishing nets and changes in the ocean environment. Shedd's success breeding blacktips advances our knowledge and helps support a sustainable population among aquariums.
What are the odds?
While a black-tipped dorsal fin breaking the surface in a tropical bay might send swimmers splashing toward the shore, these wary sharks are more frightened of us. The chance of death by shark is 1 in 3,748,067. Cars, lightning, fireworks and even vending machines (don’t shake one for that stuck candy bar) are way deadlier. On the other hand, scientists calculate that at least 100 million sharks are killed each year, most of them solely for their fins for soup.
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From reef sharks in constant motion to small deep-ocean sharks resting vertically on a rock wall, these awe-inspiring predators are found across our oceans—and throughout Shedd Aquarium. Elegantly slicing through the water, each is different from the next, but all display an eye-catching mixture of beauty and grace. Look closer at the sharks that call Shedd home.