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Step 1
Locate blacktip reef sharks in shallow waters around coral reefs and occasionally in brackish waters. They also inhabit mangroves and even fresh water near the sea.
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Step 2
Find them in abundance in the Indo-Pacific. They also inhabit waters around Hawaii and the Tuamotu Archipelago.
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Step 3
Identify blacktip reefs as small sharks, growing up to six feet. They have a brownish-gray dorsal side, white on their bellies and white streaks on their sides.
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Step 4
Notice its short, blunt snout and oval-shaped eyes. All of the blacktip reef shark's fins have black tips. Its pectoral fins have dark posterior edges, as does its caudal fin.
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Step 5
Note the rows of long, narrow, serrated teeth, with the first two rows used to catch prey. The other rows rotate into use as needed.
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Step 6
Recognize its social habits. These sharks usually hunt alone but do occasionally hunt in small groups. Each shark tends to have a relatively small territory.
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Step 7
Know the blacktip reef shark's diet, which mainly consists of reef fish, such as sturgeon and mullet. They also eat crabs, stingrays, shrimp and other crustaceans and cephalopods. In northern Australian waters, they feed heavily on sea snakes. But they also serve as prey themselves to other sharks and large groupers.
