# Blacktip reef shark (*Carcharhinus melanopterus*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/blacktip-reef-shark  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus) is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup, belonging to the family Carcharhinidae in the order Carcharhiniformes. It is classified in the class Elasmobranchii and the genus Carcharhinus, and its scientific name authority is (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824). The IUCN Red List assesses the blacktip reef shark globally as Vulnerable (VU), a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 1.57 m |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coral_reef |
| Young per litter or clutch | 2 – 5 |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Elasmobranchii
- order: Carcharhiniformes
- family: Carcharhinidae
- genus: Carcharhinus
- species: *Carcharhinus melanopterus* (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824)

Synonyms: *Carcharhinus melanoptures*, *Carcharhinus melanoterus*, *Carcharias commersoni*, *Carcharias elegans*, *Carcharias marianensis*, *Carcharias melanopterus*, *Carcharias playfairii*, *Carcharinus melanoptera*, *Carcharinus melanopterus*, *Hypoprion playfairi*, *Squalus carcharias minor*, *Squalus commersonii*, *Squalus ustus*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the blacktip reef shark?

The blacktip reef shark is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup. It belongs to the family Carcharhinidae.

### What is the scientific name of the blacktip reef shark?

Its scientific name is Carcharhinus melanopterus, placed in the genus Carcharhinus.

### Is the blacktip reef shark endangered?

The blacktip reef shark is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List in a global assessment. Vulnerable is an IUCN threatened category.

### Who named the blacktip reef shark?

The scientific name authority is (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824).

### What other names does the blacktip reef shark have?

Other English names are Guliman, Black-tip shark, Black tip shark, Black-tip reef shark and Black-tipped reef shark.

### What order and class does the blacktip reef shark belong to?

It belongs to the order Carcharhiniformes and the class Elasmobranchii, within the phylum Chordata.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525), CC BY 4.0, 1.0-2022-06-17. Mull, C.G., Pacoureau, N., Pardo, S.A. et al. (2022) Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits and abundance time-series. Scientific Data 9: 559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01655-1. Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/blacktip-reef-shark