Bull Sharks Research Paper

1013 Words5 Pages
There are around 440 known species of sharks and out of those species one of the very few species that can live long periods of time in fresh water is the bull shark. While scientists have learned how these creatures survive in fresh water, it is less clear why bull sharks have developed this amazing ability. Bull sharks go where the food is, so an idea to this adaption of freshwater tolerance could be associated with competition for salt water food resources. Although some sharks occasionally swim into areas with a mix of fresh and salt water such as estuaries, bays, harbors and river mouths, so their offspring can spend their early years in shallow waters where they are safe from dangerous marine predators. These shallow waters serve as a…show more content…
They normally grow up to about 8 feet in length and up to about 300 pounds. Females are often bigger than males. They are gray on top and white below, and the fins have dark tips, particularly on young bull sharks. The bull shark can be found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers. Recently, bull sharks have been sighted in the Mississippi River as far upstream as Illinois, Florida's Indian River Lagoon and as far as 2,000 miles up the Amazon River. Although they have been found in these areas they are not collaborating. Other than during the mating process bull sharks are completely solitary. They do not get along well with other sharks. Bull sharks are not picky about what they eat. They eat fish, marine mammals, birds, turtles, sting rays, mollusks, and even other sharks. Bull sharks have been known to even attack bigger animals than them when looking for what to eat. They will consume just about anything they can get ahold of, so they will eat anything that is…show more content…
Bull sharks get their name from their short, blunt snout, as well as their pugnacious disposition and a tendency to head-butt their prey before attacking. This technique is used to disorientate their pray so they can make the kill before their pray has time to recover. Bull sharks are extremely aggressive and although they are not very fast their sheer strength makes up for it. What makes bull sharks so dangerous is how unpredictable they can be. Although, they have been known to be eaten by a tiger shark and also a great white shark and even a crocodile and alligator has been known to feed on a bull shark, but this aggressive shark does not have much to fear in the vast ocean. The numbers of bull sharks are still quite high even though hunters have no remorse for killing these creatures. Although, the bull shark is rarely targeted by commercial fisheries it is sometimes caught as by catch or caught for harvesting such as fins for fin soup, the hid for leather, and their liver for vitamin rich oil. However, there isn’t much concern on the ability this shark has to survive in its natural
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