By: Jayanth Vegesna
Name: Bull Shark
Scientific name: Carcharhinus leucas
Status: Near threatened
Classification:
Bull Sharks are fish which are part of the chondrichthyes class. This class of fish contains cartilaginous fishes and have skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone.
Description
Size: Bull sharks can be up to 2.66 ft at birth. Adult female sharks can average about 7.9 ft long whereas the smaller adult male averages 7.4 ft.
Mass: Female (290 lbs) Male (210 lbs)
Coloration: Bull sharks are dark gray on top and a whitish shade on their underbelly. They are massive and fearsome sharks that have small eyes and triangle shaped teeth. They have two dorsal fins where the first fin is wider and triangular than the smaller second dorsal fin.
Age: This species reaches maturity at about 6 years but can live to at least 14 years.
Distinctive features:
1. First dorsal large and triangular
2. Snout is shorter than the mouth and bluntly rounded
3. Small eyes
Appearance change (from birth): Baby bull sharks have dark tips on their fins which slowly starts to fade away as they reach adulthood.
Habitat: They are found worldwide in warm and shallow waters along different bodies of water. The species is found in shallow coastal waters and are common in lagoons, bays, and river mouths. They are found where fresh water joins up with salt water. They are in high populated areas near the shoreline.
Niche: Bull Sharks are tertiary consumers depending on the food chain they are portrayed in. The Bull shark is heterotrophic meaning they eat complex organic substances.
Food sources: Bull sharks are solitary hunter meaning that they hunt alone.
Predators: Humans, Tiger Shark, Great White Shark
Prey: other Bull Sharks, Birds, Turtles, Dolphins, Stingrays, smaller sharks
Decomposers: bacteria, fungus, marine worms, sea slugs, sea worms
Cultural Significance:
Recreationally, the bull shark is considered a popular game fish in the southeastern U.S. and South Africa.
The Australian people do not have an unreasoning fear of the bull shark. Rather they view bull sharks as powerful animals worthy of respect.
In Hawaii sharks are perceived as gods and are a powerful force that deserve protection. In many myths, sharks are gods that protected the people of Hawaii.
The Bull shark is known in Africa as the Zambezi shark or, unofficially, as Zambi.
Story:
A fisherman by the name Terry Hessey caught a bull shark Brisbane River Classic fishing competition The shark he caught was measured at 2.9 meters and was estimated as weighing between 250 kg and 300kg. There was controversy over the catch because in most instances in the competition when the shark is caught it is released alive. But in the case of Terry Hessey the shark had been killed. Terry Hessey did not comment on it but the organizer said that 4 out of every 5 sharks were released unharmed.
Fun Facts:
Bull sharks in India are used in fish curries.
They are not usually kept in captivity, but have survived in some aquaria for over 15 years.
The largest bull shark caught weighed 771 lb
Bibliography
http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=83
http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sharks/FS_bullshark.htm
https://animals.howstuffworks.com/fish/sharks/bull-shark.htm
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/b/bull-shark/
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/fish/discover/species-profiles/carcharhinus-leucas
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/animals/fish/shark_bullshark.htm
http://www.mesa.edu.au/seaweek2005/pdf_senior/is08.pdf
https://www.snopes.com/ohio-bull-shark/
Try our Bull Shark Fill In The Blank activity here.