Carcharhinus tilstoni (Whitley, 1950)
Australian blacktip shark
photo by McAuley, R.

Family:  Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)
Max. size:  200 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 52 kg; max. reported age: 12 years
Environment:  pelagic-neritic; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 150 m
Distribution:  Indo-West Pacific: currently known only from the continental shelf of tropical Australia. Very similar to Carcharhinus limbatus and reliably distinguished only by biochemical studies and vertebral counts (Ref. 9819).
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 0-0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 0-0; Anal spines: 0-0; Anal soft rays: 0-0. Back dark grey, ashy blue or dusky bronze; belly white or yellowish white; a dark band extending rearward along each side to about over origin of pelvic fin; tips of pelvic fins with a persistent black spot (Ref. 9997).
Biology:  Found on the continental shelf from close inshore to about 150 m depth (Ref. 9997). Found throughout the water column but usually near the sea bed during the day and near the surface at night (Ref. 6390). Prefers teleost fishes but also feeds on cephalopods to a lesser degree. Viviparous (Ref. 50449). Forms large aggregations (Ref. 6871). Utilized for its meat and fins (Ref. 6871). The flesh has a relatively high mercury content (Ref. 6871).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 18 July 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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