Alea Krug
BSC1051C Fall 2014
(Name of Field Trip) Species report
September 12, 2014
Common Name: Blacktip Shark
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus Limbatus
Introduction to the Species: Basically describe your species in several sentences. Write as if you only had one paragraph to describe your species.
Physical Description: A full-bodied shark with a moderately long pointed snout, that can grow in length up to 8 feet and weigh anywhere from 66 to 220 pounds. Their first dorsal fin is somewhat posterior from pectoral fins and located high on the midsection of their backs with a slight pointed tip. The lower tail and all fins except their anal fin are black tipped, although color tends to fade with age. The Blacktip Shark is generally dark…show more content… In the Atlantic during seasonal migration from Nova Scotia to Brazil but were they populate most is the Caribbean seas and the Gulf of Mexico. In the Pacific they range from Southern California to Peru. They make home in the waters of South Pacific Islands all the way to the north coast of Australia. They are found in the Indian Ocean as far down as South Africa all the way up to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and throughout the coastal waters of India and China.
Ecological Role: The Caracharhinus Limbatus helps keep the ecosystem balanced and allows populations of other creatures to maintain a healthy level. They help to regulate quantity and health of our marine life, keeping fish stocks healthy. They are able to do this by feeding generally on weak, old, unhealthy fish, this in turn stops disease among fish…show more content… During this time they gather in estuarine nurseries, in shallow, near-shore waters. The gestation period is 10-12 months and are born in late spring to early summer. Females will produce 4 to 10 viviparous, meaning they give birth to live, free swimming young. Young Blacktips will then live in coastal nurseries as juveniles, to help keep them safe from predators.
Phylogenetic Tree: The Blacktips phylogenetic tree consists of; Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Order Carcharhiniformes, Family Carcharhindae, Genus Carcharhinus, Species Limbatus to give the Blacktip Shark its scientific name Carcharhinus Limbatus.
Any other interesting life history facts: Blacktip sharks are so common in Florida that scientists suspect most bites in the state can be pinned on the shark, but there has never been a single fatality in the region due to Blacktip shark attack.
The Blacktip is listed by the IUCN as near threatened, because it's considered quite tasty and often targeted for its meat and its fins, which are used to make shark fin