Carcharhinus Leucas
- Sharp nose, plain grey dorsal fin (back fin), pectoral fins (side fins), tail and smaller fins, thick bodied
- Large; largest around 3.4 metres long
- Found on deeper reefs, shallow estuaries, river mouths in cloudy water
- Feed on many species including other sharks, dolphins, rays, reef and midwater fish such as walu, tuna, snappers, jacks and tuna, seabirds
- Give birth to 1 to 13 live babies, often many kilometres up river
- The only shark to be found in completely fresh water
This is a big, stocky and powerful shark, with our biggest females reaching more than 3 meters in length. The males are smaller at approx 2 meters and can be recognized by their white copulating organs, called claspers.
Bull sharks can be identified by their large size, massive build, grey color with a pale band reaching into the tail, small eyes, a nearly triangular and slightly falcate first dorsal fin and a very short snout. They are thought to be generalist feeders with a special propensity for preying on other sharks and rays.
Like most sharks in their Family, Bull sharks are placental viviparous, i.e. they give birth to live, fully developed pups after a pregnancy of approx. 10 months, this on average every two years.
