Malia LeeMarine biologyMr. GirodApril 28, 2014The bull sharkThe Carcharhinus leucas commonly known as the “bull shark” is a very unique shark. The bull shark can live in both saltwater and freshwater, but is commonly found along the Mississippi River and around Nicaragua. The bull shark has a very blunt rounded nose giving it a bull shark type appearance, thus giving it the name bull shark. Sharks are dark black to light gray with a white belly. Bull sharks can be around 350 cm long and weigh around 230 kilograms. Bull sharks also tend to have smaller eyes than many other sharks, indicating that bull sharks have limited vision. Bull sharks have triangular teeth like the great white shark (a cousin of bull sharks). Bulls' teeth are heavily serrated and about 1.5 inches long, making it easy to tear the flesh of their prey. The bull shark may be known for thriving in the Mississippi River and around Nicaragua, but it is widely distributed throughout the world. Bull sharks have the ability to penetrate far into bays and rivers. Some bull sharks have even been found as far as a few hundred miles out to sea. Bull sharks have also been found in the Potomac River. The Potomac River is located in southern Maryland and is approximately 405 miles from the ocean. There has never been a reported shark attack in Maryland, which seems crazy considering that bull sharks have been found just 200 yards from Point Lookout State Park in Maryland. The crazy thing is that bull sharks have the ability to travel to many different environments and depths, but tend to stay in shallow waters between 10 and 100 feet of water. The anatomy of a bull shark is very unique because...... middle of paper ......o attack humans but usually confuse them with other prey. The bull shark may be responsible for many shark attacks around the world but I believe we have no right to kill them. Sharks are very important to animal feeding cycles and if feeding cycles are disrupted it can greatly affect the world. In fact, the bull shark is more vulnerable to human impact due to its ability to live in fresh and salt water, but many sharks killed are killed either for shark fin soup or for their liver oil. Shark liver oil now has many uses, but it started as a machine lubricant. Sharks are also dying from recreational fishing. Sharks can be caught in fishermen's nets and eventually suffocate and die. As an environmental community, I feel we need to educate people about the habits of sharks and how to keep them safe. Water is their home and we are