Sharks are amazing creatures. Most are saltwater but a few, notably bull sharks, manage to live in fresh and salt water. Surprisingly, Mississippi River bull sharks can travel about 1,000 miles up that enormous American river, scientists now say
The sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, have long been known to inhabit both fresh and salt water. They have been found in oceans and rivers in other parts of the world. Now they can be found swimming American waters.
The discovery is significant for a number of reasons. They are large (about 10 feet long) and aggressive. Although shark attacks are rare bull sharks are on most lists of potential mankillers. Apparently there have been no attacks on people by Mississippi river bull sharks
According to Brittanica:
“Bull sharks have been found in Lake Nicaragua, several hundred kilometres up Africa’s Zambezi River, and nearly 3,700 km (about 2,300 miles) up the Amazon River in Peru. The bull shark is recognized by its blunt snout, large dorsal fin, pale to dark gray dorsal coloration, and white underside. The species is aggressive, and bull shark attacks on people have been recorded..
The bull shark is a large active predator. The biggest females can reach 4 metres (about 13 feet) in length and weigh as much as 316.5 kg (about 700 pounds). Males are slightly smaller, growing to a length of 3.6 metres (11.8 feet). The species hunts in coral reef areas and nearshore waters less than 30 metres (98 feet) deep to prey upon other fishes as well as seabirds, marine turtles, and marine mammals. “
They sometimes eat crustaceans and scavenge garbage.
Sharks and rays are related and about 1,000 species exist, with more being discovered as time passes, .
They are highly unusual creatures. One of the more unusual sharks is the ghost shark. A new species was recently discovered.
Ghost sharks are among the most unusual of sharks. They have made striking adaptations to survive According to Newsweek scientists have found a new ghost shark species. This creature lives in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Thailand. The new ghost shark is one of several dozen members of the chimaera family.
The new ghost shark is one of several unusual sharks that have been in the news lately including the Greenland shark. That shark can live for centuries. Adapted for cold water it has surprised scientists by being found in tropical waters. A eat in some ways similar to a Mississippi River bull shark leaving salt water to climb the river toward Canada.