Creatures in Crisis
Photograph of Smoothtooth blacktip shark (Carcharhinus leiodon), recorded as Endangered
Smoothtooth blacktip shark (Carcharhinus leiodon). Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Endangered

Smoothtooth blacktip shark

Carcharhinus leiodon

Smoothtooth blacktip shark is a shark or ray in the family Carcharhinidae (order Carcharhiniformes) — Carcharhinus leiodon, recorded as Endangered.

Status
Endangered
Scientific name
Carcharhinus leiodon
Taxonomy
Elasmobranchii · Carcharhiniformes · Carcharhinidae · Carcharhinus

Appearance

It is rather robust in build, with a short and blunt snout. The five pairs of gill slits are long. The second dorsal fin is small and positioned opposite the anal fin.

Reaching 1.3 m (4.3 ft) in length, this species has a stocky greenish-colored body, a short snout, and black-tipped fins.

Range and habitat

The Kuwait specimens were obtained from fish markets. Given the practices of Kuwaiti speedboat fishers, this shark can be supposed to inhabit shallow, coastal waters. Still, these waters encompass a range of habitats from estuaries to coral reefs, thus the habitat requirements of the smoothtooth blacktip shark remain largely unknown. It is known only from the type specimen caught from the Gulf of Aden, off eastern Yemen, and a handful of additional specimens caught from the Persian Gulf, off Kuwait.

Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.

Diet

It is known to feed on marine catfish, and its diet probably also includes other small bony fishes.

In crisis

The International Union for Conservation of Nature last assessed this species as endangered. Although more specimens have since been discovered, the conservation status of this species remains precarious due to heavy fishing and habitat degradation within its range.

Smoothtooth blacktip shark is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.

Sources

Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Smoothtooth blacktip shark, Wikidata item Q1529944. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.

Photograph via Wikimedia Commons. Wikipedia · Wikidata · IUCN Red List.

Same genus

Photograph of Borneo shark (Carcharhinus borneensis), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Borneo shark

Carcharhinus borneensis
Photograph of Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Oceanic whitetip shark

Carcharhinus longimanus
Photograph of Pacific smalltail shark (Carcharhinus cerdale), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Pacific smalltail shark

Carcharhinus cerdale
Photograph of Pondicherry shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon), recorded as Critically EndangeredCR

Pondicherry shark

Carcharhinus hemiodon

Quick answers

What is Smoothtooth blacktip shark?
Smoothtooth blacktip shark is a shark or ray in the family Carcharhinidae (order Carcharhiniformes) — Carcharhinus leiodon.
What is the conservation status of Smoothtooth blacktip shark?
Endangered, as the IUCN category stored on Wikidata for Carcharhinus leiodon. Confirm the official assessment on iucnredlist.org.
Where does Smoothtooth blacktip shark live?
Still, these waters encompass a range of habitats from estuaries to coral reefs, thus the habitat requirements of the smoothtooth blacktip shark remain largely unknown.
Why is Smoothtooth blacktip shark in crisis?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature last assessed this species as endangered.
Is this the IUCN Red List page for Carcharhinus leiodon?
No. This is a researched catalog account. The Red List is the assessment.
Is Smoothtooth blacktip shark a pet?
An animal on this catalog is in crisis in the wild. Keeping one is usually the wrong question.