Evidence found
858 records across 35 countries and territories, 1889–2026.
Carcharhinus melanopterus · GBIF taxon key 2417981
Where has the Blacktip Reef Shark been recorded?
Carcharhinus melanopterus occurrence evidence comes from 858 records in 35 countries and territories, from 1889 to 2026. Most records come from United States Minor Outlying Islands.
- 858 records
- 35 places
- 43 years recorded
- Elasmobranchii class
Observation evidence passport
Source coverage
CC0 GBIF Animalia occurrence facets, including country, month and year summaries.
Refreshed 2026-09-22. Inspect the taxon on GBIF.
What this means
The species has been recorded in the listed places in the stated source universe. Peak month: April.
5 months reach at least 10% of the peak facet count.
What this does not mean
repeated describes the record pattern, not a formal range, residency, abundance or conservation assessment.
A single record remains evidence of a recording, not proof that a population lives there.
Compare this animal’s observation pattern
When it is recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: April. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.
Records over time
18892026
Recording effort has risen steeply almost everywhere since the 1990s, so a rising line usually shows more observers rather than more animals.
Where Blacktip Reef Shark has been recorded
The countries below show where occurrence evidence exists for Blacktip Reef Shark. They do not define a complete habitat range: survey effort differs by place, and historical or one-off records can appear alongside repeated presence.
| Place | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States Minor Outlying Islands | 226 | |
| Seychelles | 205 | |
| Australia | 155 | |
| Micronesia | 40 | |
| American Samoa | 37 | |
| Maldives | 35 | |
| French Polynesia | 30 | |
| Indonesia | 26 | |
| Marshall Islands | 18 | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | 18 | |
| United States | 12 | |
| Guam | 9 | |
| Philippines | 9 | |
| Thailand | 5 | |
| Kiribati | 4 | |
| Fiji | 3 | |
| India | 3 | |
| Myanmar | 3 | |
| Cocos Islands | 2 | |
| Costa Rica | 2 | |
| Kenya | 2 | |
| United Arab Emirates | 1 | |
| Bangladesh | 1 | |
| Bahamas | 1 | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | 1 | |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | |
| Mauritius | 1 | |
| Mexico | 1 | |
| Malaysia | 1 | |
| New Caledonia | 1 | |
| Panama | 1 | |
| Papua New Guinea | 1 | |
| Palau | 1 | |
| Yemen | 1 | |
| ZZ | 1 |
Related animals
Others in the family Carcharhinidae.
Bull shark
48,753 records
Caribbean reef shark
25,173 records
Silky Shark
16,244 records
Sandbar shark
3,966 records
Whitetip Shark
1,530 records
Grey Shark
1,401 records
Spot-tail shark
383 records
Silvertip Shark
108 records
Record pattern: repeated
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.
Repeated records across many years and months. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.