Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) fish species and Bull shark information

Scientific Name
Carcharhinus leucas

Common Name
Bull shark

Biology
A coastal and freshwater shark inhabiting shallow waters especially in bays, estuaries, rivers, and lakes. Readily penetrates far up rivers and hypersaline bays (Ref. 9997, 44894). Capable of covering great distances (up to 180 kilometers in 24 hours), moving between fresh and brackish water at random (Ref. 44894). Adults often found near estuaries and freshwater inflows to the sea. Young enter rivers and may be found hundreds of km from the sea (Ref. 4967, 44894, 58304). Feeds on bony fishes, other sharks, rays, mantis shrimps, crabs, squid, sea snails, sea urchins, mammalian carrion, sea turtles, and occasionally garbage (Ref. 244, 5578, 44894). Very hardy and lives well in captivity, probably the most dangerous species of tropical shark (Ref. 244), it is repeatedly implicated in attacks on humans (Ref. 4967, 44894). Attacks in fresh water are rare (Ref

Classification

Classified By

M?ller & Henle, 1839

Class

Sharks and Rays (Elasmobranchii)

Order

Ground sharks (Carcharhiniformes)

Family

Requiem sharks (Carcharhinidae)

Distribution

Region

Widespread in warm oceans, rivers and lakes. Western Atlantic

Distribution

Widespread in warm oceans, rivers and lakes. Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA to Argentina (Ref. 58839). Eastern Atlantic: Morocco, Senegal to Angola (Ref. 81283). Indo-Pacific: Kenya and South Africa to India, then, Viet Nam to Australia; southern Baja California, Mexico to Ecuador and possibly occurring in Peru. Sympatric with Carcharhinus amboinensis, Glyphis gangeticus.

Range

42°N - 39°S, 117°W - 170°W

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

1 m

Depth To - meters

152 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; freshwater; brackish; reef-associated; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 152 m (Ref. 30573), usually 1 - 30 m (Ref. 55183)

Trophic Level

4.31 s.e. 0.70 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

True

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

400 cm

Common Length

260 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Very high vulnerability (88 of 100)

Resilience

Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (K=0.04-0.08; tm=6-18; tmax=28)

Threat To Humans

Traumatogenic (Ref. 4690)

IUCN Red List Status

Near Threatened (NT)

Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) fish species and information / pictures of Bull shark - Carcharhinus leucas

Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) fish species information

Classification

Distribution

Environment

Physical Size and Genetics

Human Uses and Population