Do People Know That Sharks Also Live in Freshwater?

[NorthwestRider]

In the United States, there is only one shark species that also lives in freshwater. Meet the Bull Shark, you can find them as far north as Illinois and Ohio. There are also other shark species in Asia that lives in freshwater!!

A. Yes I Know That

B. I Did Not Know That

[Anonymous]

Yes I know this. In the Caloosahatchee River near where I live in SW Florida bull sharks have been caught near LaBelle which is around 30 miles from the coast in fresh water. I would just imagine bull sharks are in Lake Okeechobee too, the Caloosahatchee goes into Lake Okeechobee. There are also flood control canals that go from the lake to the east coast of Florida. Bull sharks could enter there too. I have caught plenty of bull sharks fishing in the Ten Thousand Islands in salt water and caught bull sharks in brackish water in rivers that drain the Everglades. I have caught a few up to 8 ft long, the big bull sharks like to come in close to shore and feed after dark. Bull sharks are the main predator shark here in the coastal waters of the Gulf.. Most shark attacks are caused by bull sharks. Very few bull sharks are being killed by the red tide that has been affecting the lower Gulf coast here in Florida. Bull sharks have ability to quickly regulate/ change their body chemistry to become less saline when they enter fresh water. This process is regulated mainly by the sharks kidneys. By this process the shark's body cells will not lyse/ explode from too much fresh water entering the cell. Water follows salt.

[Opinion Owner]

There is also a species of shark that lives in Lake Nicaragua, totally land locked no out let to the sea. This species is probably a land locked species of bull shark. Sting rays which are related to sharks can also live in fresh water.

[NorthwestRider]

In Asia, they have a few sharks species that are true river sharks

[TheUniqueOne96]

Yeah, I knew it was the bullshark too, pretty cool.

[NorthwestRider]

There are a few other species that lives in Asia as well

[TheUniqueOne96]

I believe bullsharks attack humans a lot too, right? Which other river sharks are there?

[NorthwestRider]

Ganges, Northern River, Speartooth, and Siamese River

[NorthwestRider]

The shark in Jaws was actually a Bull not a Great White

[TheUniqueOne96]

Cool, thanks for the info. I think naturally I would have assumed the shark in Jaw (I haven't seen the movie), would be a great white, because it's the most well-known shark that's still known to exist, but if it's known for attacking humans in the movie, then I guess Bull Shark, as I think they tend to attack humans a lot more than a lot of the other species.

[NorthwestRider]

The real attacks that Jaws is based on were in creeks and lakes. The Great Whites can't go into freshwater

[TheUniqueOne96]

Interesting, thanks again. I didn't think Great Whites could go into Freshwater, but I knew Bullsharks could, heard it on Animal Face-off or something on YouTube years ago.

[DeeDeeDeVour]

That makes me a bit paranoid. I used to enjoy swimming in rivers and fresh water lakes. I used to have an awful wild imagination that piranhas might be attacking in large numbers. Now, I have to worry about sharks too.

[NorthwestRider]

But dolphins also live in rivers. Plus most sharks would not attack a human

[Anonymous]

That was actually quite interesting to learn. Thank you for sharing!!

[NorthwestRider]

Also, there are species of dolphins that live in freshwater as well

[Jjpayne]

That's interesting 🤔 I wonder if one has even been spotted close to shore

[NorthwestRider]

They love living in shallow water. Plus the real shark in Jaws was a Bull Shark not a Great White

[Jjpayne]

Interesting 🤔 I've yet to hear of one myself

[joeldalton]

Bulls are the only ones I wouldn’t want to be around. They are the most aggressive.

[NorthwestRider]

You know the movie Jaws? It was not really based on a Great White, but on a Bull Shark

[joeldalton]

Yeah. They’re mean suckers.

[Agape93]

Also why I don’t swim in ocean connected rivers.

[NorthwestRider]

And that's most rivers lol

[Agape93]

Sadly. But that’s ok. Landlocked lakes are good in that sense b

[888theGreat]

Or C. who cares? I am worried about the sharks that live out of water.

[Hitchhiker42]

That’s neat :)

[NorthwestRider]

They love the Mississippi River

[Jakeofalltrades93]

I knew that

[NorthwestRider]

Did you know that Asia has a few river sharks?

[Anonymous]

Are we being catfished?