Ganges Shark

About the Ganges Shark

The Ganges shark is a salt and freshwater shark mainly found in rivers. It lives close to the bottom and is native to India and to the Indo-West Pacific. This shark is heavily impacted by humans due constructions of dams and barrages as well as overfishing, which severely affect the population of this species. They are largely fished in the Ganges-Hooghly river system, and are used in the fin trade and for their valued jaws.

Biology:

The Ganges shark has small eyes and sharp, slender teeth. It also has a very broadly wide, pointed snout. They can reach sizes up to 204cm in length.

Reproduction:

The Ganges shark is viviparous. Newborn Ganges shark are sizes from 56 to 61cm long.

Behaviour

Their small eyes suggest that it may be adapted to cloudy water with poor visibility, as in large tropical rivers and muddy waters. They swim along the bottom and scan the water above for potential prey, back-lit by the sun. This is a species that is potentially dangerous to humans because of its size and larger teeth, but bites are extremely rare.

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