FaunaHub

Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas)

Читати українською(переклад на редакторській перевірці)

SharkCoastalEuryhaline

A bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) seen head-on in shallow water, showing its stocky body and broad blunt snout.

A bull shark, showing the heavy build and blunt snout that give the species its name.

Image: Albert Kok, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Overview

The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a stocky, blunt-snouted shark of warm coastal waters worldwide. It is heavy-bodied for its length, with small eyes and a broad head — the build that gives it its name.

What sets the bull shark apart is its tolerance of fresh water. Most sharks are confined to the sea, but the bull shark can regulate its internal salt balance well enough to move far up rivers and into lakes, and it has been recorded a very long way inland in rivers such as the Mississippi and the Amazon.

It is a large predator that frequents exactly the shallow, murky, nearshore waters people use, and this profile is educational only: it gives no guidance on encountering, deterring or handling sharks.

Habitat & Range

Bull sharks live in warm coastal seas around the world, favouring shallow water less than about 30 metres deep, along with estuaries, river mouths, lagoons and — distinctively — fresh water well upstream. Populations occur in tropical and subtropical Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean coasts, and the species is well known from rivers and lake systems connected to the sea.

Diet

Bull sharks eat mainly bony fish and other sharks and rays, along with turtles, birds, dolphins, crustaceans and carrion. They hunt largely in turbid nearshore and estuarine water where visibility is poor, relying on senses other than sight, and are opportunistic in what they take.

Behavior

Bull sharks are generally solitary hunters, often active in shallow, murky water. Their osmoregulation — controlled by the kidneys, gills, and the rectal gland that sharks use to excrete salt — is what permits movement between sea water and fresh water. Rivers and estuaries also serve as nursery areas, where young sharks grow up with fewer large predators around.

Human Interaction & Conservation

Because bull sharks share shallow coastal and estuarine water with people, they are among the shark species most frequently associated with incidents, though such incidents are rare relative to human water use. They are also taken in commercial and artisanal fisheries and are affected by coastal development and degradation of the estuarine nurseries their young depend on. This profile gives no safety, deterrence, fishing or handling guidance; follow local authorities and posted advice. Verify current status at the IUCN Red List.

Sourced facts

Each value below is traced to the specific reference that states it. Open a row's evidence to see the source, where to look in it, and how firmly it supports the value. Sources checked 2026-10-09.

Sourced facts about the Bull Shark, with the reference supporting each
Geographic rangeCoasts of the US, Mexico, Central and South America, Africa, India and Australia: west Atlantic from Chesapeake Bay to southern Brazil, east Pacific from Baja California to Ecuador.ADW adds: 'On the west coast of North America, their range extends from Baja California south to Ecuador', and says bull sharks also inhabit many estuaries and rivers in these countries, which serve as nurseries. Region tags: Oriental, Neotropical, Australian, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean and Pacific Ocean (native); Ethiopian is tagged 'introduced'.
Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know
Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Where
Geographic Range
Checked by FaunaHub
2026-10-09
Limits
A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
HabitatTropical and subtropical waters, usually at a depth of around 30 m but up to 150 m near the coast; also rivers, lakes and estuaries. The only shark that tolerates long periods in fresh water.The prose leaves the unit off ('around 30'); the data table gives 'Average depth 30 m' and 'Range depth 2.4 to 150 m'. ADW says bull sharks occasionally occupy rivers (average depth just 2.4 m) and lakes, use estuaries as nurseries, and that the young move to salt water when temperatures drop seasonally. The tropical/subtropical wording is from the first sentence of Habitat.
Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know
Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Where
Habitat
Checked by FaunaHub
2026-10-09
Limits
A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
DietCommonly sea catfish (Ariidae) and stingrays; minor prey includes smaller mammals, birds, molluscs, crustaceans and turtles. The diet shifts from ray-finned fish to other elasmobranchs with age.ADW: 'In the younger stages, they feed on fish that are ray-finned. Then as they age they start to consume other elasmobranchs.' Sometimes Callinectes, Brevoortia and Mugil; rarely Archosargus probatocephalus, Carangidae, Cynoscion and other bull sharks. Cannibalism usually happens when at least six sharks are present and one is injured.
Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know
Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Where
Food Habits
Checked by FaunaHub
2026-10-09
Limits
A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body sizeAdults about 242 cm (females) and 228 cm (males), but size varies by region: North American averages are 284 cm (females) and 270 cm (males).ADW does not say which length measure it uses (e.g. total length). Females are larger than males. The largest sharks found in Costa Rica measured 251 cm (female) and 241 cm (male). ADW estimates growth to 340 cm (Development). Newborns are about 60-71 cm.
Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know
Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Where
Physical Description
Checked by FaunaHub
2026-10-09
Limits
A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Body massAdult females about 111 kg and males 95 kg; immature sharks around 53 kg; 1.5-3.0 kg at birth.ADW gives no regional masses, though it says adult size varies by region. Its data table gives 'Range mass 53 to 111 kg' (immature to adult female).
Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know
Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Where
Physical Description
Checked by FaunaHub
2026-10-09
Limits
A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
LifespanRegion-dependent maximum ages, e.g. 28 years (females) and 23 (males) in the southern Gulf of Mexico. Table wild 'averages' of 32, 13.7 and 28.0 years disagree; captivity 30 years.sources disagreeThe text gives maximum ages, not averages: northern Gulf of Mexico females 24.2 years and the oldest male 21.3 years; a female off eastern South Africa aged 32. In captivity, two sharks at a South African aquarium were 29 years old and one at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium lived to 30.
Sources disagree · Animal Diversity Web — how we know

What each reading says

  • 28 years (females) / 23 years (males) — Animal Diversity Web, maximum age, southern Gulf of Mexico
  • 24.2 years (females) / 21.3 years (oldest male) — Animal Diversity Web, northern Gulf of Mexico
  • 32 years — Animal Diversity Web, female off the eastern coast of South Africa (table labels it a wild 'average')
  • 13.7 years — Animal Diversity Web, wild 'average', Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
  • 28.0 years — Animal Diversity Web, wild 'average', Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research
  • 29 years; 30 years — Animal Diversity Web, captivity (South African aquarium; Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium)

The data table labels 32 years (the single oldest wild female in the text) as an 'average' wild lifespan, and cites Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research wild averages of 13.7 and 28.0 years. These cannot all be typical. The text's figures are regional maximum ages, not averages.

Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Where
Lifespan/Longevity
Checked by FaunaHub
2026-10-09
Limits
A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Activity patternActive by day and night in river systems, moving upstream by day and back downstream at night; some sharks off the US east coast migrate seasonally.The day/night pattern is described for rivers only, and the seasonal migration (south again when waters cool) for US east-coast sharks only. Behaviour in the open sea is not described. Key-behaviour tags list both diurnal and nocturnal.
Matches source · Animal Diversity Web — how we know
Animal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of Zoology
Where
Behavior
Checked by FaunaHub
2026-10-09
Limits
A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
Conservation statusVulnerable (VU), global assessment, 2021
Matches source · IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — how we know
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
Checked by FaunaHub
2026-10-09
Limits
Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

Not stated here, and why

Social structure— no source accepted yet
The ADW account states no social structure. It says nothing on whether bull sharks are solitary or live in groups; it only notes a polygynandrous mating system, no parental involvement, and cannibalism when at least six sharks are present and one is injured.

References for the facts above

  • UniversityAnimal Diversity Web — University of Michigan Museum of ZoologySupports: Range, habitat, diet, body size and mass, lifespan, activity and social structure, as the account states them. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: A peer-edited account written largely by students under faculty review. Figures are compiled from the literature rather than from a single study, and some are regional.
  • ReferenceIUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesSupports: The global Red List category and the year of the assessment. Retrieved 2026-10-09.Limitations: Read from the Red List export IUCN publishes to GBIF; iucnredlist.org itself does not answer automated reads. Categories are reassessed over time.

Frequently Asked Questions — Bull Shark

Can bull sharks live in fresh water?
They can spend extended periods in it. Bull sharks regulate their internal salt balance well enough to move from the sea far up rivers and into lakes, and they have been recorded a long way inland in large river systems. They are not permanently freshwater animals, but they move between the two more freely than almost any other shark.
Why are bull sharks called bull sharks?
Because of their build and behaviour: a stocky, heavy body, a short broad snout and a blunt head give them a bullish appearance, and they are known for pushy, assertive behaviour when feeding.
Are bull sharks dangerous?
Bull sharks are large predators that frequent the shallow, often murky coastal and estuarine waters people use, and they are among the species most often recorded in incidents — though such incidents remain rare. This profile is educational only and gives no safety, deterrence or handling advice; follow local authorities where sharks are present.
What do bull sharks eat?
Mostly bony fish, along with other sharks and rays, turtles, birds, dolphins, crustaceans and carrion. They are opportunistic hunters that operate well in turbid water, where they rely on senses other than vision to find prey.

Sources and further reading

Authoritative wildlife references used for general educational context. Conservation status should always be verified against current IUCN Red List data. External links open in a new tab.