The black-tipped fin breaking the lagoon’s surface belongs to Tetiaroa’s most familiar shark.
- Local names
- Ma’o Mauri
- Where it occurs
- Tetiaroa Society identifies the blacktip reef shark as the most common shark at the atoll.
About this species
Black tips on the fins, especially the first dorsal and the tail, make this shark easy to recognise. It commonly reaches about 1.6 m. Across the tropical Indian and Pacific oceans, it favours shallow reef margins and sandy bottoms, though it can also enter brackish water.
Individuals may stay within a small home area for years. Small bony fish make up much of the diet, supplemented by crustaceans, cephalopods and, in some parts of its range, seabirds and sea snakes.
The young are born alive and use very shallow coastal water, including areas covered at high tide, where they may gather in groups. They remain in shallower water than the adults.
Reproductive timing differs among regions. Published accounts report litters of two to five young and gestation estimates ranging from about 7 to 16 months; annual or biennial breeding is reported, with shorter intervals in some accounts. Lifespans of about 15 years have been reported.
Blacktip reef sharks are usually wary and difficult to approach. Bites can nevertheless occur, particularly around food or in very shallow water.
Fishing for meat, fins and liver oil, together with slow reproduction, has contributed to declines in parts of the range. The IUCN assessment changed from Near Threatened to Vulnerable in 2020.
- Guide des poissons de Tahiti et ses îles, Indo-Pacific Fish conference Tahiti 2017, P. Bachet, T. Zysman, Y. Lefèvre, Au vent des îles
- DORIS - Carcharhinus melanopterus
- FishBase - Carcharhinus melanopterus
