Lemon shark, other names: short-snouted sharp-toothed shark, Panamanian sharp-toothed shark, yellow shark.
Appearance: This shark has impressive size and great strength. Both dorsal fins of this shark are the same size. This shark has large eyes and a muzzle, and the width of the mouth exceeds the size of the head. It is because of their coloring that these sharks are called lemon sharks. The body of these predators is colored yellowish-brown, the belly, in turn, has a whitish-yellow color.
Distribution: Lemon sharks do not dive deeper than 90 meters. They are usually found in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, as well as in the western Atlantic from southern Brazil to New Jersey. Most often, these sharks can be found in the Caribbean.
Biology: These fish are able to tolerate both high and low salt content, and can even stay in fresh water for a short time. There are known cases of migration. The lemon shark is able to lie on the bottom without moving.
Food: This predator feeds mainly on fish. Small individuals feed on small fish. The larger the predator becomes, the larger the opponent they choose. The bulk of the food is made up of bony fish (about 80%) and the remains of mollusks. Adults are capable of attacking small sharks and seabirds.
Reproduction: Lemon sharks, like many others, are viviparous. "Pregnancy" lasts exactly one year. Each female is able to give birth to about 10 sharks in her life, since she is only able to give birth every second year due to their breeding pause. Young lemon sharks grow very slowly. The increase in the length of sharks in the first year of life is only 10-15 centimeters. Females give birth only in the immediate vicinity of land. An adult female reaches sexual maturity at about 12-15 years of age.
They are dangerous to people. It is included in the list of sharks that attack and eat people. It is worth noting that it made this list along with such predators as the blue shark, hammerhead shark, whitetip shark and twilight shark.
Comments