Description
· What they look like
Lemon sharks have big dorsal fins which are nearly the same size, realitively long pointy snout and a large anal fin. They have small eyes and a downward sloping head.
· Colour
Adult lemon sharks tend to have a brownish to beige with a yellow tinge, fading to an off white underbelly.
· Teeth
The teeth in both the upper and lower jaw are very similar but not identical, spike like in shape indicates a holding emphasis.
· Size
Averaging 240-310cm (8-10 ft) in total length and weighing 90-150+kg, adult females reach a larger size than adult males.
· Food
Another nocturnal hunter, the lemon shark feeds mainly on fish especially stingrays, molluscs and crustaceans. Confirming inshore, bottom dwelling habits.
Habitat
The lemon shark is prodominately an inshore species, inhabiting bays and estuaries. Very much a bottom oriented species it is commonly found in shallow water (-less than 30m), around reefs with sea grass and mangroves.
Danger Factor
Facts from the International Shark Attack Files attribute the lemon shark with a total of 22 recorded attacks with no fatalities. Some reported attacks were unproked, this combined with the substantial size and teeth of this speices mean it should be treated with respect (-as with any shark).