Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas)

General data

Main name: Bull Shark
Climates: Tropical, Subtropical, Temperate
Habitat: Amfidromous
Native: Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Australia & Oceania
Distribution: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean, Mississippi River, Zambezi, Caloosahatchee

Classification

Genus: Carcharhinus - Reef shark
Family: Carcharhinidae - Requiem sharks
Order: Carcharhiniformes - Ground sharks
Class: Elasmobranchii - Sharks and Rays
Superclass: Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes

Description

The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), also known as the Zambezi shark in Africa, and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. It is known for its aggressive nature, and presence in warm, shallow brackish and freshwater systems including estuaries and rivers. Bull sharks can thrive in both salt and fresh water and can travel far up rivers. They have been known to travel up the Mississippi River as far as Alton, Illinois, about 700 miles (1100 km) from the ocean. However, few freshwater human-shark interactions have been recorded. Larger-sized bull sharks are probably responsible for the majority of near-shore shark attacks, including many bites attributed to other species. Unlike the river sharks of the genus Glyphis, bull sharks are not true freshwater sharks, despite their ability to survive in freshwater habitats.

Taxonomy of Fishes

Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
- Elasmobranchii - Sharks and Rays->
  - Lamniformes - Mackerel sharks->
  - Carcharhiniformes - Ground sharks->
    
    Carcharhinidae - Requiem sharks->
    
    Prionace - Blue sharks->
    
    Carcharhinus - Reef shark->
    
    Sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
    
    Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
    
    Blacktip reef shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
    
    Grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)
    
    Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis)
    
    Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis)
    
    Silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus)
    
    Blacknose shark (Carcharhinus acronotus)
    
    Bignose shark (Carcharhinus altimus)
    
    Graceful shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchoides)
    
    Pigeye shark (Carcharhinus amboinensis)
    
    Borneo shark (Carcharhinus borneensis)
    
    Copper shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus)
    
    Spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna)
    
    Nervous shark (Carcharhinus cautus)
    
    Pacific smalltail shark (Carcharhinus cerdale)
    
    Carcharhinus coatesi (Carcharhinus coatesi)
    
    Whitecheek shark (Carcharhinus dussumieri)
    
    Creek whaler (Carcharhinus fitzroyensis)
    
    Pondicherry shark (Carcharhinus hemiodon)
    
    Human’s whaler shark (Carcharhinus humani)
    
    Finetooth shark (Carcharhinus isodon)
    
    Smooth tooth blacktip shark (Carcharhinus leiodon)
    
    Blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus)
    
    Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus)
    
    Hardnose shark (Carcharhinus macloti)
    
    Carcharhinus macrops (Carcharhinus macrops)
    
    Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus)
    
    Lost shark (Carcharhinus obsoletus)
    
    Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezii)
    
    Smalltail shark (Carcharhinus porosus)
    
    Blackspot shark (Carcharhinus sealei)
    
    Night shark (Carcharhinus signatus)
    
    Spot-tail shark (Carcharhinus sorrah)
    
    Australian blacktip shark (Carcharhinus tilstoni)
    
    Carcharhinus tjutjot (Carcharhinus tjutjot)
    
    Negaprion - Negaprion->
    
    Triaenodon - Triaenodon->
    
    Rhizoprionodon - Sharpnose sharks->
    
    Glyphis - Glyphis->
    
    Isogomphodon - Isogomphodon->
    
    Lamiopsis - Lamiopsis->
    
    Loxodon - Loxodon->
    
    Nasolamia - Nasolamia->
    
    Scoliodon - Scoliodon->
    
    Scyliorhinidae - Cat sharks->
    
    Pentanchidae - Deepwater catsharks->
    
    Triakidae - Houndsharks->
    
    Sphyrnidae - Hammerheads->
    
    Atelomycteridae - Coloured catsharks->
    
    Galeocerdonidae - Tiger sharks->
    
    Hemigaleidae - Weasel sharks->
    
    Leptochariidae - Barbeled houndsharks->
    
    Proscylliidae - Finback catsharks->
    
    Pseudotriakidae - False catsharks->
  - Rhinopristiformes - Shovelnose rays->
  - Torpediniformes - Electric rays->
  - Rajiformes - Skates and rays->
  - Orectolobiformes - Carpet shark->
  - Squatiniformes - Angelsharks->
  - Heterodontiformes - Bullhead and horn sharks->
  - Hexanchiformes - Six-gill sharks->
  - Myliobatiformes - Stingrays->
  - Squaliformes - Sleeper and dogfish sharks->
  - Echinorhiniformes - Bramble sharks->
  - Pristiophoriformes - Saw sharks->
- Holocephali - Chimaeras->
Agnatha - Jawless fishes->