Today I will be talking about the Bull Shark! They get their name from their short, blunt snouts and are known to head put their prey before attacking. A more well known characteristic of them is their pugnacious disposition and their reputation of being one of the more dangerous shark species. NOW this does NOT mean you should fear this shark, but rather understand that this is their behavior and respect their presence in the water! On average, females are larger than males reaching lengths of 8 feet and 300 pounds, whereas males are on average 7.5 feet long and 200 pounds. The largest recorded bull shark came in at 11 feet and 600 pounds! The waters in which they are found differ from many other sharks species because they can live in both fresh and saltwater! Found in warm Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans and in various bodies of water including rivers and estuaries. They are able to transition between these various salinity level with ease by osmoregulation; maintaining a constant concentration of water within their body. Bull Sharks maintain a 50% concentration of salt in their blood, but must accommodate this by releasing huge amounts of urine when in freshwater which are all controlled by their kidneys. In Florida, they use estuaries and connected rivers as nurseries for their young because they have a low tolerance for the high salinity ocean water in their early years. They are viviparous (give live birth) sharks and can have anywhere from 5 to 15 pups at one time. I was surprised to find out that their conservation status is “near threatened.” This is due to getting caught in fishing nets, sport fishing, and intentional hunting. #savesharks
Originally posted on 24 March 2019
(not my picture)
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