Ecology Summary - Carcharhinus melanopterus

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Main Ref.	Compagno, L.J.V., 1984
Remarks	Inhabits the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific Region; prefers the shallow water close inshore and in the intertidal zone (reef flats), near reef drop-offs and close offshore (Refs. 244, 58302, 9773). Also found in mangrove areas, moving in and out with the tide (Ref. 6871) and even in freshwater, but not in tropical lakes and rivers far from the sea (Ref. 9997). The young inhabit shallow lagoons (Ref. 9137). Feeds on fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods and other mollusks (Ref. 6871). May become aggressive to spear fishers and has been reported to bite people wading in shallow water (Ref. 6871). Found along the entire Omani coastline, but is especially common in the Gulf of Oman. Occasionally enters the intertidal zone and into brackish and freshwater near the sea. Feeds at the bottom and in midwater (Ref. 9773).

Main Ref.

Compagno, L.J.V., 1984

Remarks

Inhabits the coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific Region; prefers the shallow water close inshore and in the intertidal zone (reef flats), near reef drop-offs and close offshore (Refs. 244, 58302, 9773). Also found in mangrove areas, moving in and out with the tide (Ref. 6871) and even in freshwater, but not in tropical lakes and rivers far from the sea (Ref. 9997). The young inhabit shallow lagoons (Ref. 9137). Feeds on fishes, crustaceans, cephalopods and other mollusks (Ref. 6871). May become aggressive to spear fishers and has been reported to bite people wading in shallow water (Ref. 6871). Found along the entire Omani coastline, but is especially common in the Gulf of Oman. Occasionally enters the intertidal zone and into brackish and freshwater near the sea. Feeds at the bottom and in midwater (Ref. 9773).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Carcharhinus melanopterus may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Pelagic;
Substrate Ref.	Al-Abdessalaam, T.Z.S., 1995
Special habitats	Coral Reefs;
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.	Allen, G.R., 2004
Associations	solitary; schooling;
Associated with
Association remarks	Occurs singly or in small groups (Ref. 244, 54301).
Parasitism

Feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Salini, J.P., S.J. Blaber and D.T. Brewer, 1992
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Salini, J.P., S.J. Blaber and D.T. Brewer, 1992

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	Original sample		Unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition	3.94	0.41	3.86	0.55	Troph of juv./adults from 1 study.
From individual food items	4.36	0.63			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.	Cortés, E., 1999

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