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Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes, 1839)

Bull shark
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Carcharhinus leucas   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Carcharhinus leucas (Bull shark)
Carcharhinus leucas
Picture by Randall, J.E.


United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Bull shark, Cub shark, Ground shark
Occurrence: native
Salinity: freshwater
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Found in up to 2800 up the Mississippi River (Ref. 46919) and Atchafalaya River (Ref. 244, 124548). Two individuals caught near the mouth of Potomac River in September 2010 (Ref. 93252). Further confirmed catches occurred in Alton, illinois in 1937, St. Louis, Missouri near Rush I. Power Station in 1995 (Ref. 124548). Also Ref. 96339, 27549, 93252.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Robins, C.R., R.M. Bailey, C.E. Bond, J.R. Brooker, E.A. Lachner, R.N. Lea and W.B. Scott, 1980
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Elasmobranchii (sharks and rays) > Carcharhiniformes (Ground sharks) > Carcharhinidae (Requiem sharks)
Etymology: Carcharhinus: karcharos (Gr.), sharp or jagged; rhinus, an ancient name for sharks, from rhine (Gr.), rasp, both words alluding to a shark's jagged, rasp-like skin. (See ETYFish);  leucas: From leukos (Gr.), white, referring to its body color, usually grayish with white underside [authorship often attributed to Müller & Henle, who published Valenciennes’ description]. (See ETYFish).

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; freshwater; brackish; reef-associated; amphidromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 164 m (Ref. 106604), usually 1 - 30 m (Ref. 55183).   Subtropical; 42°N - 39°S, 180°W - 180°E (Ref. 55182)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences |
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