Reef Shark
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Reef Shark
Fish
A sleek tropical shark named for the black tips on its fins, patrolling shallow, warm coral reefs where it hunts fish.
Name Story
Carcharhinus melanopterus
means “the sharp-snouted shark with black fins”
What does its name mean?
- Carcharhinus — sharp snoutGreek karcharos 'jagged/sharp' + rhinos 'nose/snout'
- melanopterus — black finGreek melas 'black' + pteron 'wing/fin'
Its name means 'black fin', which is exactly the first thing you notice — the bold, inky-black tips on its fins, looking as if they have been dipped in paint. 'Sharp-snout' describes its whole shark family too.