Blacktip Reef Shark

Photo: mkmor9913 · CC BY-NC

Blacktip reef sharks are shallow-water predators that patrol the edges of reef flats and lagoon margins, hunting fish and cephalopods in water as shallow as 30 centimetres. At Aldabra they exist in very high densities due to the lack of fishing pressure, and their behaviour is notably bold and inquisitive compared to more fished populations. They play an essential role controlling fish populations on reef flats and their abundance is considered a keystone indicator of reef ecosystem integrity.