Sharks that live in rivers: A challenge for conservation

Two unique species, appearance, behavior and habitat of each species

Rivers sharks are a rarity in the animal world. These are species of sharks that have adapted their body and behavior to live in freshwater, which allows them to inhabit rivers, lakes and other bodies of freshwater.

1- The Ganges Shark: (Glyphis gangeticus) is a species of shark that it lives in the rivers of eastern and northeastern India, particularly the Hooghly River in West Bengal, the Ganges, the Brahmputra and the Mahanadi in Assam, Bihar and Orissa, respectively. It is an endangered species, with an estimated population of less than 200 individuals.

Sharks that live in rivers, a whim of nature

The Ganges shark is a medium-sized shark, which can reach 2 meters in length. It has a robust body and wide head, with sharp teeth. It is an opportunistic predator, feeding on a variety of prey, including fish, crustaceans and mammals.

2- The bull shark: (Carcharhinus leucas) is a species of shark that lives in marine and fresh waters, and can travel rivers up to 3,200 kilometers in length. It is found throughout the world, but is most common in America, Africa and Australia. It is a potentially dangerous species for humans.

The bull shark is a larger shark, which can reach 3.5 meters in length. It has a slimmer body than the Ganges shark, with a narrow head and triangular teeth. It is an aggressive predator, feeding on a variety of prey, including fish, mammals and birds.

Both species of shark are important to river ecosystems, playing a role in controlling populations of fish and other animals. However, they are also vulnerable to hunting and pollutions, which has contributed to their decline.

The bull shark is a solitary animal that spends most of its time hunting or resting. It is an aggressive species and can attack humans without provocation. The bull shark is viviparous. The females give birth to a litter of between 10 and 20 young, which are born fully developed. Image Creative commons Wikipedia

The gangetic shark is a solitary animal that spends most of its time hunting or resting. It is a non-aggressive species that rarely attacks humans. The Ganges shark is classified as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The main threats to this species are pollution, habitat loss and overfishing. Image Youtube Lankasri News.