Blacktip Reef Shark Identification Guide
Identify a Blacktip Reef Shark by its bold black fin tips and small size on shallow coral reef flats.
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Key identification features
- Slender, gray-brown body of relatively small size, typically under 6 feet
- Prominent, jet-black tips on the first dorsal fin and the lower lobe of the tail fin
- A pale white band running just below the black tip of the first dorsal fin
- Black markings also present on the pectoral and pelvic fin tips in most individuals
- Streamlined build suited to fast bursts of speed over shallow reef flats
Common look-alikes
- Blacktip shark: a larger, more pelagic species with less bold fin markings and no white band beneath the dorsal fin tip
- Whitetip reef shark: fin tips are white rather than black, and the head is flatter with tube-like skin flaps near the nostrils
- Oceanic whitetip shark: much larger, with rounded, mottled white fin tips and an open-ocean rather than reef-flat habitat
Where you'll see one
Blacktip reef sharks patrol shallow tropical coral reef flats and lagoons throughout the Indo-Pacific, frequently in water barely deep enough to cover their dorsal fin.
Frequently asked questions
How do I tell a blacktip reef shark from a whitetip reef shark?
Check the fin tip color: blacktip reef sharks have jet-black tips on the dorsal and tail fins with a white band beneath the dorsal tip, while whitetip reef sharks have white, not black, fin tips.
What is the easiest way to spot a blacktip reef shark?
Look for a small, slender shark cruising in ankle-to-knee-deep water on a coral flat with unmistakable black-tipped fins, especially the first dorsal fin.