Description:
This somewhat slender shark grows to 6 - 8 feet in length.  The snout is somewhat pointed and long.  Body color is blue-gray to gray above, with a distinctive white stripe along the sides beginning beneath the first dorsal fin  and extending to the tail.  Ventrally, the animal is typically white or light gray.  Perhaps the most distinguishing feature in this species are the black tips of the pelvic fins.  The other fins also bear black tips, however, these markings are not always reliable, as they tend to fade as the shark ages.  Pelvic fins are falcate in shape.  No spiracle or mid-dorsal ridge is present. This shark is considered to be dangerous to people and has been implicated in attacks on humans.

Habitat:
Blacktip sharks inhabit both coastal and offshore waters and are often seen in estuaries and embayments.  Mature specimens are considered primarily pelagic, but smaller individuals readily utilize nearshore waters.  These sharks sometimes form large schools and are known to follow baitfish close to shorelines.  They are also known to school for winter migrations to deeper waters.

Similar Species:
Blacktip sharks closely resemble spinner sharks, Carcharhinus brevipinna.  Both share a similar range, black tips on the pectoral fins, and a habit of sometimes leaping out of the water and spinning several times while in pursuit of prey or if caught on fishing line.  However, spinner sharks can be distinguished by the shape of the snout, which is long and almost V-shaped.  The snout of the blacktip shark, while long, is more blunt in shape. 

Range:
Blacktip sharks have a worldwide range in warm temperate and tropical waters.  In the Western Atlantic, they range from New England south to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.  They are also known in the Pacific from Baja, California south through Peru.