Overview

This shark belongs to the requiem shark family, a diverse group that includes many familiar coastal and reef species. Use the entry as a cautious base note: sleek shape, active swimming, and live-bearing reproduction are common family themes. Typical requiem sharks are streamlined, with two dorsal fins, an anal fin, five gill slits, and a distinct nictitating lower eyelid. Color is often gray to bronze above with a pale underside. Requiem sharks occupy tropical and warm-temperate seas worldwide, from coastal estuaries and reefs to outer shelves and open ocean. Individual species may be strongly coastal, strongly pelagic, or somewhere in between.

This family uses an unusually wide span of habitats, including surf zones, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass flats, shelf edges, and oceanic waters.

A well-known interaction species with high human overlap in estuaries.

Why it matters: Many requiem sharks depend on shallow nursery grounds where pups spend their early months away from larger predators.

Common nameBull Shark
Scientific nameCarcharhinus leucas
FamilyCarcharhinidae
OrderCarcharhiniformes
Max length3.4 m
Depth range0 to 150 meters
ConservationVulnerable
RegionCoastal tropics and subtropics worldwide
DietFish, rays, crustaceans, turtles
HabitatEstuaries, river mouths, and shallow shelves
Why it stands outStrong osmoregulation enables freshwater entry

What this shark is

Typical requiem sharks are streamlined, with two dorsal fins, an anal fin, five gill slits, and a distinct nictitating lower eyelid. Color is often gray to bronze above with a pale underside.

Where it lives

Requiem sharks occupy tropical and warm-temperate seas worldwide, from coastal estuaries and reefs to outer shelves and open ocean. Individual species may be strongly coastal, strongly pelagic, or somewhere in between.

This family uses an unusually wide span of habitats, including surf zones, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass flats, shelf edges, and oceanic waters.

How it differs from similar sharks

Strong osmoregulation enables freshwater entry

Compare it against Blacknose Shark, Blacktip Shark, and Spinner Shark.

Why it is notable

Some of the best-known large sharks in tropical waters belong to this family, so human encounters do occur. Even so, fishery pressure, bycatch, and habitat loss usually matter more than direct conflict.

Species-level taxonomy was verified from Sharkipedia's current species list and taxonomy workbook. In this pass, the narrative fields are cautious family-level placeholders synthesized from broad shark references, chiefly the FAO Sharks of the World catalogue, because a stronger multi-source species-level synthesis was not assembled here without risking invented detail. Replace this with a direct species-level synthesis before publication in the app.

Related shark pages

These links are meant to help readers continue through related species, not force extra clicks.

Blacknose shark reference photograph showing the dusky snout tip and slim body; not to scale.
Carcharhinus acronotus

Blacknose Shark

Small coastal shark with a raised dorsal 'blacknose' profile.

2.0 m maxEndangered
FDA reference photograph of a blacktip shark specimen, highlighting the dark fin edges; not to scale.
Carcharhinus limbatus

Blacktip Shark

Fast, agile coastal shark with black-tipped fins.

2.9 m maxNear Threatened
Spinner shark reference photograph showing the slim body and long pointed fins; not to scale.
Carcharhinus brevipinna

Spinner Shark

The leaping pelagic shark with a signature spinning chase.

2.8 m maxNear Threatened