blacktip shark

noun

black·​tip shark ˈblak-ˌtip- 

variants or blacktip or less commonly black-tipped shark

ˈblak-ˌtipt- 

: a small, grayish requiem shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) with black-tipped fins that is widely distributed in coastal tropical and subtropical seas

The vast majority of shark bites are from so-called hit-and-run attacks by smaller species, such as blacktip sharks. They mistake thrashing arms or dangling feet as a prey item, dart in, bite and let go when they realize it's not a fish.

—Tim Friend

Examples of blacktip shark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Unlike a blacktip shark, which eats smaller fish whole and would likely leave just small puncture wounds on a human, bull shark bites are typically much more severe, said Grubbs, the Florida State University expert. —Rick Jervis, USA TODAY, 5 Aug. 2024

Smaller sharks, including blacktip sharks, can be key menu items for larger sharks, such as great hammerheads. —Michael Heithaus, Discover Magazine, 5 Aug. 2024

The boy dove onto a blacktip shark, which witnesses said was 4 to 5 feet long, CBS affiliate WKMG reported. —CBS News, 9 July 2024

The first instance occurred in January 2022, when a drone recorded two orcas swimming near a blacktip shark. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1916, in the meaning defined above