Sealife guideThe bull sharkCarcharhinus leucas

Last updated on 09/10/2024 at 10:58 PM
Taxonomy
  • Common name: Bull shark, Zambezi shark
  • French name: Requin bouledogue, requin du Zambèze
  • Spanish name: Tiburón toro
  • Scientific name: Carcharhinus leucas (Müller & Henle, 1839)
  • Family name: Carcharhinidae
  • Order name: Carcharhiniformes
  • Class name: Elasmobranchii
Description
The bull shark, also known as the Zambezi shark, is a relatively large species of shark. The bull shark typically measures around 10 feet in length but can reach a maximum size of 13 feet, with females generally being larger than males.
The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is also known as the Zambezi shark
The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is also known as the Zambezi shark © | Dreamstime.com
The bull shark has a stocky, streamlined body with a wide, flat head, giving it a bulldog-like appearance, which is where it gets its name. The dorsal side of its body is grayish to brownish, while its ventral side is whitish.
An adult bull shark weighs around 500 pounds, though some specimens may weigh even more.
Geographic range
Bull sharks inhabit warm tropical, subtropical and temperate waters around the globe and are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.
Habitat
As a coastal species, the bull shark prefers shallow waters near shorelines. It frequently ventures into brackish estuaries and swims upriver into deep rivers and streams. It is also a pelagic shark occasionally found far offshore.
Bull sharks are typically encountered at depths around 100 feet but can dive as deep as 525 feet.
Diet
An opportunistic predator, the bull shark feeds on a wide range of prey, including other shark species, marine and freshwater fish, sea turtles, marine mammals such as dolphins, squid, and seabirds. Bull sharks are also known to scavenge on animal carcasses.
The bull shark is a relatively large species of shark
The bull shark is a relatively large species of shark © | Dreamstime.com
The bull shark is considered highly dangerous due to its aggressiveness, though human attacks are rare despite media attention (Reunion island between 2011 and 2021, Green Cay near Nassau in the Bahamas in 2022, Noumea in New Caledonia in early 2023).
Reproduction
The bull shark is a viviparous species, meaning that, like humans, embryos develop inside the female's body. After a gestation period of around 10 to 12 months, the female gives birth to about a dozen baby sharks, each approximately 2 feet long.
Did you know ?
Bull shark populations are declining primarily due to fishing, accidental bycatch in gillnets and longlines and the degradation of their habitats.
As a coastal species, the bull shark prefers shallow waters near shorelines
As a coastal species, the bull shark prefers shallow waters near shorelines © | Dreamstime.com
The bull shark is unique in its ability to thrive in both saltwater and freshwater environments, making it an euryhaline species.
The bull shark is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The bull shark appears in the IUCN Red List since 2021 within the category Vulnerable !
Within the same genus
Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
Blacktip reef shark
(Carcharhinus melanopterus)
Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi)
Caribbean reef shark
(Carcharhinus perezi)
Copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus)
Copper shark
(Carcharhinus brachyurus)
Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus)
Dusky shark
(Carcharhinus obscurus)
Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis)
Galapagos shark
(Carcharhinus galapagensis)
Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus)
Oceanic whitetip shark
(Carcharhinus longimanus)
Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis)
Silky Shark
(Carcharhinus falciformis)
Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)
Silvertip shark
(Carcharhinus albimarginatus)
Within the same family
Blue shark (Prionace glauca)
Blue shark
(Prionace glauca)
Lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris)
Lemon shark
(Negaprion brevirostris)
Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)
Tiger shark
(Galeocerdo cuvier)
Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus)
Whitetip reef shark
(Triaenodon obesus)
Discover also
Basking Shark (Cetorhinus maximus)
Basking Shark
(Cetorhinus maximus)
Japanese wobbegong (Orectolobus japonicus)
Japanese wobbegong
(Orectolobus japonicus)
Leafscale gulper shark (Centrophorus squamosus)
Leafscale gulper shark
(Centrophorus squamosus)
Ornate wobbegong (Orectolobus ornatus)
Ornate wobbegong
(Orectolobus ornatus)
Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)
Port Jackson shark
(Heterodontus portusjacksoni)
Puffadder shyshark (Haploblepharus edwardsii)
Puffadder shyshark
(Haploblepharus edwardsii)
Raja epaulette shark (Hemiscyllium freycineti)
Raja epaulette shark
(Hemiscyllium freycineti)
Small-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula)
Small-spotted catshark
(Scyliorhinus canicula)

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