The Shark Bull is the only shark living in fresh water.

A blunt shark, or a shark bull, is an absolutely unique creature that can cause horror even if more than half of the human victims are attributed to the representatives of this species. It was the bull shark, or, as it is called in another way, the tub-head - one of the most aggressive predators living in the ocean - served as a prototype of the monster from the movie "Jaws."

In addition, it is the only one of 43 species of sharks that can feel great 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 ability of the shark-bull to dwell in fresh water?

For most sharks, the concentration of salt in the blood is the same as that found in sea water. And in the case of blunt predators, among other things, it is only 50%, which causes them in a fresh environment a large outflow of water through the gills and the washing out of chlorine and sodium from the body of fish.

This shark is rescued by the rectal gland, liver, kidneys and gills, which are able to accumulate and then secrete 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 people are more often found in fresh water, and adults swim here, mainly to produce offspring, as this tactic helps young animals survive.

What does the bull shark look like?

The tusked shark makes an indelible impression on those who met with it. He has a large body, while females are much larger than males and can reach 4 m in length, while their cavaliers grow, mainly up to 2.5 m. The weight of this shark can also be called bullish - 300 kg!

Spindly, like all its relatives, the torso of the predator ends with a massive head, with a blunt, broad muzzle and, of course, terrifying jaws.

The teeth of our "beauty" are perfectly adapted to gnaw any surfaces, even the tortoise shell. They are very sharp, have a triangular shape with strongly jagged edges and are bent inside. By the way, as soon as any of the teeth falls, a new device for murder grows in its place.

The shark is painted in a gray-blue color, and the belly is light, almost white.

Where does the blunt shark live?

The main habitats of the shark-bull are the coastal warm and moderately deep waters of the southern hemisphere (approximately 30 to 150 m deep). Its home is the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.

But it would be more correct to call these hunters migrants, as in search of food they are able to swim in rivers and even in some lakes, where they sometimes live for several years. The Amazon, Potomac, Mississippi, Brisbane, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra are among the beloved sharks. More than once the shark-bull was also met in Lake Nicaragua (Central America), where it was considered an endemic species for a long time, and in some other freshwater reservoirs with a sufficient depth (not less than 30 m).

By the way, this representative of the class of cartilaginous fish is the most common type of sharks known all over the world.

Features of life of a shark bull

The shark-bull became famous for its unpredictably aggressive behavior (for which, by the way, it got its name) and is considered one of the most dangerous predator fish for humans. Incidentally, it is the male individuals of the blunt sharks that are famous for their aggressiveness. Obviously, this is due to the fact that they live in places where you can meet a large number of swimmers or lovers of water sports.

Despite the prevalence of these fish, there are still vague moments in their behavior and life characteristics. And it is well known that this is the most socialized kind among your kind. Sometimes bull sharks are hunted in pairs or small groups, in which females clearly dominate males, although most often they, like most of the congeners, prefer solitude.

In search of food, not trying to find a fish place, the shark-bull absorbs everything that comes to her on the way. It can attack both dolphins and even tiger or infamous large white sharks. It attracts crabs, crawfish, shellfish, all kinds of fish and sea carrion.

Reproduction of the blunt sharks

Sexual maturity described shark reaches 10-15 years (with an average life expectancy of up to 28 years). The breeding season in her captures the last month of summer and the beginning of autumn. This species of sharks is viviparous, as females carry fertilized eggs 10-11 months in their body until they ripen.

In its environment, the shark-bull is the dominant predator and therefore has no enemies, which can not be said about its progeny, and this is reflected in the peculiarities of reproduction of this fish. So, for genera in brackish estuaries of rivers usually gather huge flocks of pregnant females, and each produces from three to thirteen fry, the length of the body of which does not exceed, as a rule, 60 cm. Mammies immediately leave the cubs to the mercy of fate and more about them Do not care. But, as was said before, in the freshwater reservoirs, the sharks are forced to fight for their own lives more than chances to survive.

Dummy sharks are dangerous for humans

The sharks often attack animals that came to the watering place, and people who have lost their vigilance. It attacks with lightning speed, immediately knocking the victim off his feet.

Especially dangerous are these fish in the morning and evening, when the time of their hunting comes. Therefore, the population living along the rivers where the shark-bull meets meets strict safety rules:

• One can not go into the water one by one;
• In muddy water (namely, sharks like to hunt in it) it is dangerous to swim, especially after a rain that flushes organic from nearby fields;
• Distant swim can also end tragically.