Bull shark
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bull shark | |||||||||||||||||
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| Carcharhinus leucas (Müller and Henle, 1839) |
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 Range of bull shark
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The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) has a short snout that is wider than it is long (hence its name). Its belly is off-white, its top surface is gray, and the eyes are small. The first dorsal fin is much longer and more pointed than the second dorsal fin. A pup's fins have black tips, but these marking fade in the adults. The females are larger than the males.
[change] Habitat
The bull shark is found close to shore and can live for a while in fresh water, frequenting estuaries, rivers and lakes. It has been found up to 1,750 miles (2800 km) up the Mississippi River in the USA and 2,500 miles (4000 km) up the Amazon River in Peru. It has been found in Lake Nicaragua (Central America) and the Zambezi River (Africa).
[change] Diet
The bull shark eats fish (including other sharks and rays), turtles, birds, mollusks, crustaceans, and dolphins. It will eat almost anything.
[change] Reproduction
Bull sharks are viviparous (like mammals, giving birth to live animals that were nourished by through a placenta). Litters of 1 to 13 pups are common after a gestation period of about one year. Pups are about 28 inches (70 cm) long at birth. Very young bull sharks are frequently found in protected bays near the mouths of rivers, in briny water.
