Carcharhinus melanopterus is a common reef shark with distinctive black markings on the ends of its fins and a blunt snout. It also has a white streak on its side. It can grow to be about 6' long. The Blacktip reef shark has long, thin, serrated teeth suited for its diet of reef fish. The teeth are located in rows, which rotate into use as needed. The first two rows are used in obtaining prey, the other rows rotate into place as they are needed. As teeth are lost, broken, or worn down, they are replaced by new teeth that rotate into place.

Habitat

The Blacktip Sharks habitat can be located in the Indian Ocean: South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, Madagascar to Red Sea. India, Sri Lanka, Andaman and the Maldives. Western Pacific: Thailand to China, Japan, The Philippines, Australia, and New Caledonia. Central Pacific: From the Hawaiian and Marshall Islands south to the Tuamotu Archipelago. Eastern Mediterranean Sea, through the Suez Canal from the Red Sea. This species prefers shallow waters that are close to the shores on coral reefs, at depths of only a few meters and often on reef flats in water 30 cm deep or less.