The bull shark, also known as the Zambezi shark in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers.

 

Here’s a detailed overview of the bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), including its biology, behavior, habitat, diet, reproduction, and conservation.

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Overview

• Scientific name: Carcharhinus leucas (Wikipedia)

• Common names: Bull shark, Zambezi shark (in Africa), Lake Nicaragua shark (Wikipedia)

• IUCN status: Near Threatened (IUCN Portals)

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Physical Description

• Bull sharks have a stocky, heavy body with a blunt, rounded snout. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Coloration: Gray on dorsal (top) side, white on the underside; often darker fin tips in juveniles. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Teeth: Upper jaw teeth are triangular and strongly serrated, lower jaw teeth are more slender but edged. (Shark Research Institute)

• Size: Females can reach up to ~ 3.5 m (317 kg), males are slightly smaller. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Lifespan: Up to ~ 25 years according to MarineBio. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

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Habitat & Distribution

• Global range: Tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Unique freshwater tolerance: One of the few shark species that can live in both saltwater and freshwater. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

• Found in estuaries, shallow coastal waters, rivers, and even lakes (e.g., Lake Nicaragua). (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Depth range: Typically in shallow waters (3–30 m), but can go deeper near coasts. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Juvenile “nursery” habitats: Often in low-salinity estuaries or river mouths. (Animal Diversity Web)

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Diet & Feeding Behavior

• Highly opportunistic predator. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Prey includes:

  • Bony fishes (Shark Research Institute)

  • Smaller sharks and rays (Florida Museum)

  • Crustaceans (crabs, shrimp) (sharkguardian)

  • Sea turtles, sea birds, and sometimes mammals or carrion. (Florida Museum)

• Hunting strategy: In murky water, they may “bump” prey before biting, using strong jaws to dismember. (sharkguardian)

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Reproduction & Life Cycle

• Reproductive mode: Viviparous (live-bearing) with a yolk-sac placenta. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Gestation: Approximately 10–11 months. (Biology Insights)

• Litter size: Between 1 and 13 pups. (MarineBio Conservation Society)

• Birth size: Pups are about 56–81 cm long at birth. (Shark Research Institute)

• Maturation:

  • Males: ~14–15 years old (Florida Museum)

  • Females: ~18 years old (Biology Insights)

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Behavior & Interactions

• Aggressiveness: Considered one of the more aggressive shark species; strong bite force. (Shark Research Institute)

• Human encounters: They often inhabit shallow, turbid waters where humans swim, increasing interactions. (Encyclopedia Britannica)

• Natural predators: Adult bull sharks have few predators; juvenile bull sharks may fall prey to larger sharks (e.g., tiger sharks) or crocodiles in freshwater. (Florida Museum)

• Adaptations for freshwater: They regulate internal salt by reducing urea in their tissues and excreting more urine. (Save Our Seas Foundation)

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Conservation & Threats

• IUCN status: Near Threatened due to declining populations. (IUCN Portals)

• Threats include:

  • Overfishing (targeted or bycatch) for meat, fins, liver oil, skin. (Save Our Seas Foundation)

  • Habitat degradation (especially in riverine and estuarine nursery areas). (IUCN Portals)

  • Human-shark conflict: Because of their proximity to human-populated waters, they are sometimes culled or killed for safety. (Wikipedia)

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Interesting Facts

• River travel: Bull sharks have been found extremely far inland — for example, up the Zambezi River in Africa and even in the Amazon. (Shark Research Institute)

• Freshwater “nurseries”: They may use freshwater or brackish zones (estuaries, rivers) as pupping grounds, presumably because they offer protection from large marine predators. (Save Our Seas Foundation)

• Longevity & resilience: Their ability to tolerate both freshwater and saltwater gives them unique ecological flexibility, but also exposes them to a variety of human-induced risks.

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If you like, I can summarize the latest (2024-25) research on bull shark population trends and conservation — do you want me to do that? 

 

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