Name: Blacktip reef shark, guliman, black tips nilow
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy e Gaimard, 1824)
Family: Carcharhinidae
Group: Sharks, rays and chimaeras
Class: Fish
Size: 101-200 cm.
This beautiful shark is a fast and active swimmer, with a clear preference for shallow waters of coral reefs. In fact, its fins are often seen breaking the surface of the water in the tidal zone, at depths as low as 30 cm. It is an animal curious by nature, which approaches divers in an inquisitive manner. Although it is not aggressive, it can become dangerous when it detects harpooned fish and may bite swimmers, perhaps confusing their splashing with that made by fishes. Fertilisation is internal and after 16 months' gestation, the females give birth to between 2 and 4 young, fully formed and measuring about 50 cm.
Photo by:
www.starfish.ch
Global Ocean
