Bull shark
📖 Overview
A coastal and freshwater shark inhabiting shallow waters especially in bays, estuaries, rivers, and lakes . It readily penetrates far up rivers and hypersaline bays and littoral lagoons . Capable of covering great distances (up to 180 kilometers in 24 hours), moving between fresh and brackish water at random . Adults often found near estuaries and freshwater inflows to the sea; young enter rivers and may be found hundreds of km from the sea . Feeds on bony fishes, other sharks, rays, mantis shrimps, crabs, squid, sea snails, sea urchins, mammalian carrion, sea turtles, and occasionally garbage . Viviparous . Gives birth to litters of up to 13 young . Size at birth is 56-81 cm TL . Sexual maturity is attained after 10-15 years (at a length between 160-200 centimeters) . Though not commercially important, this species is a good food fish . Utilized fresh, fresh-frozen or smoked for human consumption, fins for soup, hide for leather, liver for oil, and carcass for fishmeal . Very hardy and lives well in captivity . This large shark is potentially dangerous to man , probably the most dangerous species of tropical shark , and it is repeatedly implicated in attacks on humans ; attacks in fresh water are rare .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 0; Anal spines: 0. Diagnosis: Carcharhinus leucas is a massive shark with a short, broad and blunt snout, small eyes and triangular saw-edged upper teeth, and lack of interdorsal ridge, characters which are sufficient to distinguish this species . : fusiform / normal.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Bull shark is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Bull shark is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Viviparpous, with a yolk-sac placenta, 1-13 young in a litter. Size at birth about 60 cm TL . In the western North Atlantic off Florida and the Gulf of Mexico, and off South Africa, young are born in late spring or early summer. Off Nicaragua, females may have young throughout the year, with a peak in spring and early summer. Estimated gestation period is 10 to 11 months . Distinct pairing with embrace . Females often have courtship scars, but males are rarely seen with fighting scars .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; freshwater; brackish; reef-associated; amphidromous ; depth range 1 - 164 m , usually 1 - 30 m . Subtropical; 42°N - 39°S, 180°W - 180°E South Africa to India, then, Viet Nam to Australia; southern Baja California, Mexico to Ecuador and possibly occurring in Peru.
🌿 Ecology
bony fishes, other sharks, rays, mantis shrimps, crabs, squid, sea snails, sea urchins, mammalian ca
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Bull shark is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 23 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 151 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Bull shark has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carcharhinus azureus | Gilbert & Starks | 1904 | Synonym |
| Carcharhinus leucas | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Carcharhinus nicaraguensis | Gill | 1877 | Synonym |
| Carcharhinus vanrooyeni | Smith | 1958 | Synonym |
| Carcharhinus zambezensis | Peters | 1852 | Synonym |
| Carcharias azureus | Gilbert & Starks | 1904 | Synonym |
| Carcharias leucas | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Carcharias spenceri | Ogilby | 1910 | Synonym |
| Carcharias zambesensis | Peters | 1852 | Synonym |
| Carcharias zambezensis | Peters | 1852 | Synonym |
| Carcharicus leucas | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Carcharinus leucas | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Carcharinus zambesensis | Peters | 1852 | Synonym |
| Carcharinus zambezensis | Peters | 1852 | Synonym |
| Eulamia nicaraguensis | Gill | 1877 | Synonym |
| Galeolamna bogimba | Whitley | 1943 | Synonym |
| Galeolamna greyi mckaili | Whitley | 1945 | Synonym |
| Galeolamna lamia | - | - | Synonym |
| Galeolamna leucas | Valenciennes | 1839 | Synonym |
| Galeolamna mckaili | Whitley | 1945 | Synonym |
| Prionodon platyodon | Poey | 1860 | Synonym |
| Squalus obtusus | Poey | 1861 | Synonym |
| Squalus platyodon | Poey | 1860 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 117 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Bull shark ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.