Indo-West Pacific: scattered records from East Africa to China and Australia. Often confused with Carcharhinus dussumieri and has often been listed under Carcharhinus tjutjot and Carcharhinus menisorrah.

A small, slender shark with a long, rounded snout, large, oval eyes, and oblique-cusped teeth; 2nd dorsal fin with conspicuous black tip covering one-half or more of the fin, other fins plain. Grayish or grey-brown above, white below; black spot on the second dorsal fin.

Found on the continental and insular shelves, from the surf line and intertidal region to deeper water.