The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is also known as the cub, Ganges, Nicaragua, river, shovelnose, slipway grey, square-nose, Van Rooyen's, and Zambezi shark. The bull shark is found in all tropical and subtropical oceans and seas along the coastlines and also in a few fresh water rivers and lakes. The bull shark is the most frequent attacker of people, as it swims in very shallow waters where people swim and is an aggressive shark.
Anatomy: The bull shark has a short snout that is wider than it is long (hence its name). Its belly is off-white, its top surface is gray, and its eyes are small. The first dorsal fin is much longer and more pointed than the second dorsal fin. The females are larger than the males. On average, adult males are about 7 feet (2.1 m) long weighing 200 pounds (90 kg). Adult females are about 11.5 feet (3.5 m) long weighing 500 pounds (230 kg).
Diet and Teeth: The bull shark eats fish (including other sharks and rays), turtles, birds, mollusks, crustaceans, and dolphins. It will eat almost anything. Bull shark teeth are triangular, serrated (saw-edged), and very sharp.
Classification: Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Chondrichthyes, Order Carcharhiniformes, Family Carcharhinidae, Genus Carcharhinus, Species leucas.
