Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes, 1839)

Common Blacktip Shark

Carcharias (Prionodon) limbatus Valenciennes in Müller & Henle, 1839: 49, pl. 19 (teeth). Syntypes (2): only 1 syntype still in existence; MNHN 0000-3468 (mounted skin). Type locality: Martinique, Lesser Antilles, Western Atlantic.

Local synonymy: Carcharhinus limbatus— Filewood, 1973: 6 (PNG); Compagno, 1984: 482 (PNG); Kailola, 1987: 16 (off the Sepik and Ramu River mouths; Bougainville; New Britain; Trobriands; Orangerie Bay; Gulf of Papua and Western Papua); White et al., 2018: 148, figs (PNG).

PNG voucher material: (21 spec.) CSIRO H 8105-01 (jaw), female 760 mm TL, west of Avirara, Gulf of Papua, 8°15’41” S, 146°6’47” E, 16–18 m depth, 29 Aug. 2015 ; CSIRO H 7828-02 (dried jaw), juvenile male 700 mm TL, south of Deception Bay, Gulf of Papua, 8°2’33” S, 144°39’21” E, 25–31 m depth, 7 Dec. 2014 ; KFRS E.015A-E (5 sets of dried jaws), Hall Sound, Central Province, 11/ 12 Nov. 1964 ; KFRS E.023 (dried jaws), Hall Sound, Central Province, Sep. 1964 ; KFRS E.155A (dried jaws), near McDhui wreck, Port Moresby, 7 Aug. 1965 ; KFRS E.177 (dried jaws), Kiriwina lagoon, Losuia, Milne Bay Province, 17 Nov. 1965 ; KFRS E.180A (dried jaws), Tatana, Fairfax Harbour, Port Moresby, 7 Oct. 1965 ; KFRS E.273 (dried jaws), New Britain, Sep. 1966; KFRS E.312 (dried jaws), Orangerie Bay, Jun. 1967 ; KFRS E.366 (dried jaws), KFRS E.369 (dried jaws), Mission Point, Yule Island, 4 Sep. 1968 ; KFRS E.406 (dried jaws), no data; KFRS E.448 (dried jaws), Tureture, Daru, 13 Dec. 1971; KFRS E.449 (dried jaws), mouth of Binaturi River, Western Province ; KFRS E.717, female 760 mm TL, KFRS E.718, juvenile male 690 mm TL, Gulf of Papua, 2014 ; KFRS E.777 (dried jaws), no label on jaw but likely a previously registered specimen, new registration number allocated April 2017.

Remarks: First recorded from PNG by Filewood (1973). Common catch of coastal fisheries and in prawn trawl bycatch.