FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Carcharhinidae 1339
Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes in Müller and Henle, 1839)
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: Carcharhinus zambezensis (Peters, 1852); C. vanrooyeni Smith,
1958 / Carcharhinus amboinensis (Müller and Henle, 1839).
FAO names: En - Bull shark; Fr - Requin bouledogue (= Réquiem taureau, Area 31); Sp - Tiburón sarda.
Diagnostic characters: A large, stout shark. Snout very
broadly rounded and extremely short, its length less than
distance between nostrils, and much less than mouth width;
labial furrows very short; spiracles absent; nostrils with a low,
broadly triangular anterior nasal flap; teeth in upper jaw
triangular, with broad, heavy, serrated cusps, their outer
edges nearly straight in anterior teeth, but becoming increasingly
concave to the sides; lower teeth with erect to slightly oblique,
heavy cusps with serrated edges and strongly arched bases.
First dorsal fin high and broad with a pointed or slightly
rounded apex, its origin a little in advance of insertion of
ventral view
of head
upper and lower
tooth near centre
pectoral fins; second dorsal fin high with a short posterior lobe, its inner margin less than the fin
height, and its origin slightly in front of that of anal fin; pectoral fins broad, with narrow pointed tips. No
interdorsal ridge. Colour: back greyish, belly white; tips of fins dark, especially in young individuals.
Size: Maximum total length about 3.4 m; commonly to 2.6 m; size at birth about 60 cm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Predominantly a coastal and fresh-water species inhabiting shallow waters,
especially in bays, river estuaries, rivers, and lakes. It tolerates a wide range of salinities, readily penetrates
far up rivers and also into hypersaline bays. Usually slow-swimming if active while cruising, this
bottom-living shark may develop great speed when chasing its prey. Viviparous, number of embryos up to
12. The young readily tolerate low salinities, and some are born in fresh water. An opportunistic predator
with a very wide food spectrum that includes bony fishes, sharks, rays, invertebrates (crabs, shrimps, sea
urchins, etc.), marine and freshwater turtles, birds, marine and terrestrial mammals, and carrion. It has
large strong jaws and large stout teeth for its size, which enable it to dismember and feed on relatively large
prey. Known to be dangerous to people, and possibly one of the most dangerous sharks because of its
inshore and fresh-water habitat, large size, powerful feeding structures, and omnivorous habits. Caught
mainly with longlines and gill
nets and used for its meat,
hide, fins, liver oil, and as
fishmeal.
Distribution: Widespread
along the continental coasts of
all tropical and subtropical
seas; also, the most
wide-ranging cartilaginous fish
in fresh water.