One of the most dangerous predators of the sea surface is the blunt-nosed shark. It feeds on almost everything that moves, and many of these representatives pose a real danger to humans. In terms of the number of attacks on people, they are second only to the great white shark. The gray bull shark, its habits, habitat and description of appearance are the topic of our article.
Appearance of a blunt-nosed shark
These sharks sometimes reach gigantic size. It is noteworthy that the females of this species are much larger than the males. On average, they grow up to 3 meters, and their weight can be more than one hundred and fifty kilograms. Males have a body length of approximately 2.5 m, their weight is 95 kg. Scientists have registered individuals of this species, 4 meters long, and Weight Limit, according to some unconfirmed reports, they amounted to 400 kg.
What does a blunt-nosed shark look like? She is quite stocky, which is why she is called a bull. The snout is blunt, rounded and short. The back of a predator is gray, which is an excellent camouflage, and you can spot the danger in sea depths until the last moment it is not possible. The belly is white, but since sharks have the habit of attacking from below, it will not be possible to determine its presence in the water by its belly. The jaws of this predator are the most powerful compared to other types of sharks. The force of their compression can reach 6,000 N. The edges of the upper triangular teeth are jagged, and the lower ones are covered with small teeth.
The bull shark has two fins on its back - the first one is slightly more than the second, there is no ridge between them. The caudal fin is long, which is distinctive feature individuals of this species.
Hunting method and diet
The bull shark prefers to hunt alone. It chooses muddy waters to feed in order to increase its chances of catching prey. The blunt-nosed shark imperceptibly swims up to the selected object, pushes it hard and bites it. Bites rain down on the victim until he loses the ability to flee. By the way, this predator is lazy and swims slowly and steadily.
The bull shark feeds variedly - its diet includes not only bony fish, small sharks, and even representatives of their own species, but also crustaceans, sea turtles, various land-dwelling mammals caught in the hunting area. A shark will not refuse ready-made food, that is, one that is already dead, left by another predator, or thrown from a ship.
And in order to escape from a relative who wants to eat it, the blunt-nosed shark regurgitates the contents of its stomach to distract the predator, and tries to hide from view as quickly as possible.
Reproduction
The bluntnose shark becomes sexually mature between the ages of ten and fifteen years. Mating occurs from mid-summer to autumn. Males court females in a unique way, biting the latter strongly on the tail, after which the lady may have marks in the form of scratches and bite marks for the rest of her life.
The pregnancy of this predator lasts twelve months, after which cubs are born, ranging in size from half a meter to eighty centimeters. One litter can have up to thirteen babies. Birth takes place in fresh waters, and the cubs grow here, which is why they are not afraid of predators, but they themselves can be found in any river in the world!
Habitat
The bull shark is adapted to life not only in salt water sea water, but also in fresh. They prefer warm tropical and subtropical seas and rivers and do not live in the depths. They can be found in shallow water, they mainly stay in waters up to 30 meters deep, rarely swimming into places deeper than 150 meters.
In the Indian Ocean, the blunt-nosed shark lives everywhere; in the Atlantic, it is found off the coast of the USA, Angola, Morocco, and southern Brazil. IN Pacific Ocean this predator is also common on almost all islands; it is absent only from the south of Australia.
Of the fresh waters, the bull shark loves the Amazon for its muddy waters, the Ganges River, and the Zambezi. She only chooses warm currents and avoids entering a temperate climate zone.
Adaptability to fresh water
The bull shark's ability to live freely in fresh waters due to the fact that her blood contains almost as much salt as is found in sea water. Sharks have most Those who spend their lives far from the sea have less urea in their blood than their counterparts from salt waters. Chlorine is washed out of the body of such sharks fresh water through the gills.
There are several cases where sharks were encountered on flooded city streets after floods. So, in the nineties, after one of the floods, several sharks were cut off from their world, and they were sheltered in a lake near a golf club. They lived there until 2011, and now tournaments are held annually in their honor.
And after the rampage of Hurricane Katrina, several specimens of the blunt-nosed shark were seen in Lake Pontchartrain, and in 2014 one of the predators attacked a boy. In general, in fresh waters these dangerous creatures they feel no worse than in the salt water of the sea.
Danger to people
It was the blunt-nosed shark that inspired Peter Benchley to create Jaws - everyone famous stories about a shark attack on a person. Events that contributed to the film adaptation of horror occurred in 1916, when many shark attacks on humans were noted in New Jersey. What exactly were they blunt sharks, there is no doubt, because all the cases occurred in fresh waters, where their white, tiger or long-winged relatives, which pose a danger to people, do not swim. And in 2009, bull sharks hunted people off the coast of Sydney, causing real panic there.
To avoid meeting this predator, you should not swim deep and swim alone. There has not been a single case when these sharks attacked groups of people; they prefer a single victim. They also hunt at dusk - at sunset or dawn, so choose for swimming clear waters during the daytime.
This is a truly dangerous predator, and to avoid becoming its victim, follow the safety rules when swimming in the area where the bull shark is reported to live.
Snout shark, or bull shark - absolutely unique creation, capable of causing horror if only because more than half of the human victims are attributed to representatives of this species. It was the bull shark, or, as it is otherwise called, the mug-head, one of the most aggressive predators living in the ocean, that served as the prototype for the monster from the movie “Jaws.”
In addition, this is the only one of the 43 that can thrive in both salt and fresh water (for example, one of the representatives of this species was seen 4000 km upstream of the Amazon in South America).
What is the secret of the bull shark's ability to live in fresh water?
Most sharks have a salt concentration in their blood similar to that found in seawater. And in blunt-nosed predators, by the way, it is only 50%, which in a fresh environment causes a large outflow of water through the gills and leaching of chlorine and sodium from the fish’s body.
This shark is saved by the rectal gland, liver, kidneys and gills, which are capable of accumulating and then releasing the necessary sodium and chlorine, which maintains its water-salt balance and, accordingly, facilitates adaptation in fresh water.
Researchers, by the way, drew attention to the fact that young individuals are still most often found in fresh water, and adults swim here mainly to give birth to offspring, since this tactic helps the young survive.
What does a bull shark look like?
The blunt-nosed shark makes an indelible impression on those who meet it. It has a large body, while females are noticeably larger than males and can reach 4 m in length, while their gentlemen grow mainly up to 2.5 m. The weight of this shark can also be called bullish - 300 kg!
The spindle-shaped body of the predator, like that of all its relatives, ends in a massive head, with a blunt, wide muzzle and, of course, terrifying jaws.
The teeth of our “beauty” are perfectly adapted for gnawing any kind of surface, even a turtle shell. They are very sharp, triangular in shape with highly jagged edges and curved inward. By the way, as soon as any of the teeth falls out, a new killing device grows in its place.
The shark is painted gray-blue, and its belly is light, almost white.
Where does the blunt-nosed shark live?
The main habitats of the bull shark are coastal warm and moderately deep waters southern hemisphere(from approximately 30 to 150 m depth). Its home is the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
But it would be more correct to call these hunters migrants, since in search of food they are able to swim into rivers and even into some lakes, where they sometimes live for several years. The rivers favored by sharks include the Amazon, Potomac, Mississippi, Brisbane, Ganges and Brahmaputra. More than once, a bull shark was also encountered in ( Central America), where it has long been considered an endemic species, and in some other freshwater bodies of sufficient depth (at least 30 m).
By the way, this representative of the class is the most common species of sharks known throughout the world.
Features of the life of a bull shark
The bull shark has become famous for its unpredictability aggressive behavior(for which, by the way, it got its name) and is considered one of the most dangerous for humans predatory fish. By the way, it is the male specimens of blunt-nosed sharks that are famous for their aggressiveness. Obviously, this is due to the fact that they live in places where you can find a large number of swimmers or amateurs aquatic species sports
Despite the prevalence of these fish, there are still unclear aspects in their behavior and life characteristics. And it is well known that this is the most socialized species among its kind. Sometimes bull sharks hunt in pairs or small groups, in which the females clearly dominate the males, although most often they, like most of their relatives, prefer solitude.
In search of food, without trying to find a fishing spot, the bull shark absorbs everything that comes in its way. She can attack dolphins, and even tiger or the infamous big ones. She is attracted to crabs, crayfish, shellfish, all types of fish and sea carrion.
Reproduction of the blunt-nosed shark
The described shark reaches sexual maturity at 10-15 years (at average duration life up to 28 years). Her breeding season is exciting last month summer and early autumn. This species of shark is viviparous, as females carry fertilized eggs in their bodies for 10-11 months until they mature.
In its environment, the bull shark is the dominant predator and therefore has no enemies, which cannot be said about its offspring, and this is reflected in the reproductive characteristics of this fish. Thus, for childbirth in brackish river estuaries, huge flocks of pregnant females usually gather, and each gives birth to from three to thirteen fry, the body length of which, as a rule, does not exceed 60 cm. The mothers immediately leave the cubs to their fate and more about them don't care. But, as mentioned earlier, in freshwater bodies, sharks forced to fight for life on their own have a better chance of surviving.
Blunt sharks are dangerous to humans
The bull shark often attacks both animals that come to drink and people who have lost their vigilance. She attacks with lightning speed, immediately knocking the victim down.
These fish are especially dangerous in the morning and evening, when it is time for them to hunt. Therefore, the population living along the rivers where the bull shark is found strictly follows the safety rules:
- You cannot go into the water alone;
- in (namely, sharks like to hunt in it) it is dangerous to swim, especially after rain, which washes away organic matter from nearby fields;
- long-distance swims can also end tragically.
Most of the fatal encounters between humans and blunt-nosed sharks occurred not in the sea, but in fresh waters. Blunt sharks live, for example, in Lake Nicaragua. The Spaniards, who were the first to discover this lake, located between the Caribbean coast and the Pacific coast, discovered small sharks - only 1.8 meters long - that soon acquired a reputation as extremely dangerous predators, often attacking people. I find something particularly sinister about the fact that even while swimming in a river or lake, far from the ocean waves, you can suddenly find yourself being targeted by a shark's mouth.
Lake Nicaragua and the Caribbean Sea are connected by the San Juan River, at the mouth of which blunt-nosed sharks also live. However, they do not seem to mix with lake sharks, although it is natural to assume that blunt-nosed sharks are descendants of river sharks that once rose from the mouth upward into the lake.
The African Zambezi River also boasts a population of sharks, and some rivers in the Gambia are not far behind it in this regard. The Zambezi flows into the Indian Ocean, and The Gambia is located on Atlantic coast Africa. Both in the Zambezi and in the rivers of the Gambia, sharks are sometimes found hundreds of miles from the ocean shores. It is possible that sharks living in African rivers are close relatives of blunt-nosed sharks. The sharks that live in the Ganges are probably related to them; Although they are small in size, they sent many people to the next world. Sharks very similar to those mentioned above are also caught in Asian rivers river species. Ocean sharks are also found in rivers - in the Amazon, for example, and quite far from the mouth. We saw them in the Tigris, and in the Euphrates, and in rivers South-East Asia and Australia. Some scientists believe that the ability of some shark species to adapt to both sea and fresh water indicates that the origin of sharks goes back to freshwater species; however, this is just a theory for now.
Several species of hammerhead shark (Sphyrna) are also closely related to carcharine sharks; The head of this shark really resembles a hammer. Some unusual appearance has given the hammerhead shark a more sinister reputation than the fish deserves. More large species Hammerhead sharks do attack humans, but this happens very rarely.
On the other hand, some of the sharks of the order Galeiformes enjoy such a good reputation that scuba divers and swimmers sometimes treat them with excessive frivolity. It is customary for some scuba divers, for example, to drag a nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum), which is considered a harmless creature, by the tail; and yet this is a dangerous delusion. The nurse shark has a flattened body and reaches 3.7 meters in length. She eats sea urchins, crabs, squid, spiny lobsters and small fish. Sometimes dozens of nurse sharks gather in underwater caves and under overhanging underwater cliffs, and some scuba divers swim among them with the carelessness with which people on earth walk among a flock of sheep. However, nurse sharks are not always peaceful and friendly and have more than once maimed people who disturbed their peace. Theodore Roosevelt III wrote in the March/April 1973 issue of Secrets of the Sea magazine about how he was grabbed by a 30-centimeter nurse shark. His wife pulled the shark out of the water and threw it to the side. As the shark flew past Roosevelt in the air, managed to grab onto his shoulder. For twenty minutes the “nanny” hung on his shoulder, in the end, they had to kill her and cut her jaw ligaments.
Appearance
The blunt-nosed shark (from the Latin Carcharhinus leucas), also known as bull or gray, belongs to the class of gray sharks from the order Carcharhiniformes. The fish got its name from its unique snout. different shapes. They have a very large body with big head and a blunt snout. They have a big one on their back front fin, the rear one is much smaller in size. The caudal fin has a cutout at the end of an elongated blade. Above pectoral fin The last slit of the gills is located.
The body of sharks is predominantly gray, with the exception of the white underparts and belly. There are no spots, stripes or any kind of patterns on the body. Bull sharks have the ability to change skin tone depending on the intensity of light. Therefore, they should be especially careful in shallow waters. Females can reach up to 4 m in length and weigh up to 300 kg. Males are slightly smaller in size. Their length can be in the range of 2.2 - 2.5 m, and their weight is on average 130 kg.
The teeth of fish have a triangular plate shape and are very sharp, with the teeth of the upper jaw being wider than the lower jaw. The jaws are capable of capturing prey with a force of 600 kg.
Geography of habitat
Geographically, the bull shark's habitat is very extensive. As a rule, the predator is constantly located within 150 m from the shore, and the diving depth is about 30 m. It is often found:
- in the Atlantic Ocean from the north of the USA to Brazil and from Angola to the coast of Morocco,
- V Indian Ocean most often representatives of this species live in coastal waters ah from Kenya to South Africa, the Persian Gulf and coastal areas southwestern India.
- In the Pacific Ocean, fish can be seen in the waters of Australia, Oceania, from the waters of Ecuador to northern California.
Since the predator thrives in fresh water, it has been found more than once in the estuaries of rivers in India and the United States, in particular Illinois and New Jersey, as well as fresh water reservoirs that communicate with the sea. In the murky waters of the Amazon, the fish can rise up to 4,000 km, so some individuals have been seen in Peru.
“The ability to live in fresh water is due to the presence of a rectal gland, which allows it to accumulate salt.”
Reproduction
Like other gray sharks, the bluntnose reproduces by viviparity. The female carries fertilized eggs within herself. Pregnancy lasts 12 months. Females give birth in bays and river mouths. Each female gives birth to approximately a dozen sharks up to 70 cm long. From the first days, they learn and get used to living independently without outside help. Predators usually spend the first year of their lives close to the coast. This makes it easier for them to catch their prey and hide from other predators. Sexual maturity occurs 3 years after birth, when the length of the fish reaches 1.5 meters. Maximum life expectancy is up to 30 years.
Behavior
Biologists say that bull sharks are one of the most aggressive animals. This is explained big amount testosterone, which is produced in males. The behavior of these fish is characterized by outbreaks of sudden aggression and rage. They can suddenly attack any moving object, including the motor propeller of a small boat. Thanks to the flattened shape of the shark's muzzle, it is very mobile.
Having a very large habitat, especially near densely populated shores, as well as the presence of deadly teeth, gives grounds for the gray shark to be called a man-eater. More than half of the attacks of predators on people in the water fall precisely on the share of the blunt-nosed shark. Residents of African countries, as well as the coastal waters of India, are most often attacked.
IN Lately A large number of attacks on swimmers and divers have been recorded off the coast of Australia. In order to reduce the risk of being attacked by a bull shark, experienced divers recommend that swimmers avoid swimming in troubled waters, and especially where the river flows into the sea. It is also undesirable to swim after heavy, heavy rains, because rain can wash organic objects into the sea, which attracts predators. There were cases when fish attacked animals and people who forded the river.
Lifestyle and nutrition
Although fish of this class are omnivores, the main food for blunt-nosed predators are fish, small sharks, including gray ones, stingrays, crustaceans, some marine and terrestrial mammals, and often humans. According to statistics, most often a person is attacked by sharks in the early morning or late evening at a depth of up to 1 meter. They look out for a long time and wait for their prey before making an instant deadly attack. They are also considered to be “scavengers”, as they consume carrion and garbage.
Despite their bloodthirstiness and the fact that the bluntnose shark is one of the top three most dangerous sharks, they are very often caught and killed. More often they are exterminated in densely populated areas near the sea, where the probability of being attacked by a predator is very high.
Because the this type is an important link in the animal world of the entire biosystem; uncontrolled extermination of these fish can upset the balance in the ecosystem, which will lead to serious consequences for flora and fauna.
Video about the most dangerous predator living in the waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Pacific oceans
Our Earth is home to many animals that pose a danger to human life. The heroine of our article today is the bull shark, the most dangerous shark in the world.
She is considered the most aggressive representative of fish. The gray bull shark represents the class Cartilaginous, and is a representative of the order Carchariformes. It is also called the blunt-nosed shark, the mug-headed shark, and the bull shark.
Predators of the oceans and seas have always inspired fear in humans. They are completely unpredictable and very insidious. Attacks on people are only confirmation of what has been said. Among marine life, sharks are the most dangerous to humans. Having become a victim of a predator, it is impossible to free yourself from its jaws.
The bull shark, a member of the gray shark genus, is a true monster representing serious danger for a person. Seeing her terrible jaws, even a desperate daredevil will be horrified. What kind of monster is this, and why is it so dangerous?
Appearance
The bull shark has a fairly large body. Female size ( adult) sometimes exceeds 4 meters in length. Males are somewhat smaller - their body is approximately 2.5 meters long. This “fish” weighs more than 300 kilograms.
Bull shark, photos of which can be seen in publications about sea creatures, has a huge head, with a blunt snout at the end. The scariest part of this animal is its jaws. These saw-shaped devices keep the entire underwater world at bay.
The body of the predator is painted in grey colour. True, her belly is light, almost white, and her back is a richer tone. Depending on the lighting, the animal can change shade, becoming lighter or darker.
Habitat
Our readers are probably wondering where the bull shark lives? It lives not only in salty seas, but also in freshwater lakes and rivers. It mainly lives in the waters off the coast of Latin and North America. In addition, this predator is found in the waters that wash India.
One species of bull shark (Gill & Bransford) lives permanently in Lake Nicaragua (Central America). It connects with Caribbean Sea rapids, the length of which is about 200 km. The sharks that live there are the only known species adapted for living in fresh waters. A shark that lives in a rather large - the average size approximately 2.5 m, but there are individuals exceeding 3.5 meters or more in length.
The bull shark is found in the Panama Canal, where the waters of several lakes mix with the waters of two of the world's oceans. The appearance of predators has been noticed in Lake Izabal, Guatemala. Their appearance in the Atchafalaya River (Louisiana) is not uncommon.
According to unconfirmed reports, the gray bull shark, the photo of which is a special success for hunters, appears inland, in the channels cutting through southern and central Florida, but this claim requires further evidence.
In Southern China, India and other countries in the region, this shark is very feared and at the same time revered as sacred. Its rare variety, which lives in the region, is used to feasting on it. Following local customs, the corpses of representatives of the upper castes are lowered into the waters of the Ganges, where terrible predators await them.
Behavior in nature
Experts consider the males of these sharks to be the most aggressive. If the prey comes into the sight of toothy predators, it has no chance of escape. The bull shark is distinguished by its enormous strength and incredible speed. She is able to overtake the victim in a matter of seconds. At the same time, she attacks immediately, leaving no opportunity to escape from her terrible mouth.
According to scientists, especially males are based on the fact that their body produces a large amount of testosterone - the male hormone, which is responsible for the aggression of all life on Earth. This is confirmed by practical observations and research - subject to seemingly unreasonable outbursts of rage, bull sharks rush at everything that moves - even the propeller of a boat motor.
The muzzle of these predators has a blunt, flattened shape, which increases their maneuverability, and a mouth full of sharp and jagged teeth is a very formidable weapon. Baby sharks are born with a huge amount teeth. If one of the teeth located in front row falls out, then a new one does not grow, and its place is taken by the one growing in the back row. This series is constantly growing, replenishing the jaws of predators with new terrible weapons.
The bull shark is an extremely fast and strong animal. There is no escape from her grasp! She torments the victim, not paying any attention to the pain and blows inflicted.
The behavior of bull sharks is impossible to predict. They can swim nearby quite calmly for a long time, and then suddenly attack a person.
These predators very jealously guard their possessions - an alien who accidentally or deliberately invades will most definitely be destroyed.
Nutrition
While searching for food, the bull shark consumes almost all living things that it comes across on its way. Most of them favorite treat- various and dolphins. In addition to such “delicacies”, she eats crabs, crayfish, and shellfish. The predator also attacks its relatives. Does not refuse sea carrion. But the worst thing is that she easily attacks a person.
Reproduction
Unlike the bulk of fish, blunt-nosed sharks are viviparous. It should be noted that this is typical for most sharks.
The fertilized female carries the eggs in her body until they are fully mature. Females spend the entire summer giving birth. They gather in huge schools and give birth to baby sharks. One female gives birth to up to 10 babies. Immediately after giving birth, the female abandons the cubs, and is no longer interested in their fate. During the first days and months, small sharks live in the mouths of rivers, hiding from enemies.
When they are 4 years old, they reach sexual maturity and are ready to reproduce independently.
Life expectancy is about 30 years.
Enemies
We can say that the bull shark has almost no enemies in nature. However, sometimes she has to become a victim. They are attacked more large predators, for example, killer whales.
Features of bull sharks
These predators are distinguished by extreme endurance and a high pain barrier. Thanks to this, they have earned the reputation of “immortal” predators. There are cases when completely gutted fish, released into the water, ate their own offal.
Many legends surround these predators. In some settlements in southern Africa they are considered sacred. By and large, bull sharks are ideal killers. These aggressors produce an amount of testosterone that no other Living being on the ground.
Female sharks are completely devoid of maternal instinct. This is an aggressive predator, claiming to be an all-powerful animal.
Fearing the terrible jaws of sharks, people often simply exterminate these predators en masse. Often they are caught for their meat, which people eat.
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