Lemon Shark
Lemon Shark
Negaprion brevirostris
UncommonCarcharhinidaeMay bite
ID points
- Yellow-brown colour, very close to that of the sandy bottom
- The two dorsal fins are almost the same size, which is very unusual
- Short flattened snout and small eyes
Basics
- Family
- Carcharhinidae
- Length
- 2.0–3.0 m
- Depth
- 0-90 m
- Regions
- Caribbean & W. Atlantic · Estuary & freshwater
- Distribution
- Inshore shallows and mangroves of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific
- Habitat
- Mangroves and shallow sandy flats
- Diet
- Fish, crustaceans
Easily confused with
Silky SharkFine dense skin scales that feel unusually smooth
Blue SharkIndigo blue back and pure white belly with a sharp dividing line
Bull SharkStout body with a short blunt snout that looks cut off flatFun fact
The lemon shark takes its name from its yellowish brown skin, a colour that blends beautifully into a sandy seabed and works as natural camouflage. It is one of the few sharks proven to have long term social memory, with individuals forming stable relationships with one another.
More in this family
- Blacktip Reef Shark
- Caribbean Reef Shark
- Grey Reef Shark
- Oceanic Whitetip Shark
- Tiger Shark
- Whitetip Reef Shark