# Bull shark (*Carcharhinus leucas*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/bull-shark  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup, belonging to the family Carcharhinidae in the order Carcharhiniformes. It is classified in the class Elasmobranchii and the genus Carcharhinus, and its scientific name carries the authority (Valenciennes, 1839). Other English names for the bull shark include Cub shark, River shark, River whaler, Estuary shark and Zambezi shark. In its global assessment, the IUCN Red List places the bull shark in the Vulnerable (VU) category, which is a threatened category.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | up to 4 m |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Longest recorded lifespan | 27 years |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal, freshwater, riverine |
| Young per litter or clutch | 5 |
| Age at maturity | 10 years – 18 years |
| Conservation status | Vulnerable (IUCN) |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Elasmobranchii
- order: Carcharhiniformes
- family: Carcharhinidae
- genus: Carcharhinus
- species: *Carcharhinus leucas* (Valenciennes, 1839)

Synonyms: *Carcharhinus azureus*, *Carcharhinus nicaraguensis*, *Carcharhinus vanrooyeni*, *Carcharhinus zambezensis*, *Carcharias azureus*, *Carcharias leucas*, *Carcharias leucas*, *Carcharias spenceri*, *Carcharias zambesensis*, *Carcharias zambezensis*, *Carcharicus leucas*, *Carcharinus leucas*, *Carcharinus zambesensis*, *Carcharinus zambezensis*, *Eulamia nicaraguensis*, *Galeolamna bogimba*, *Galeolamna greyi mckaili*, *Galeolamna leucas*, *Galeolamna leucas*, *Galeolamna mckaili*, *Prionodon platyodon*, *Squalus obtusus*, *Squalus platyodon*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the bull shark?

The bull shark is a fish in the sharks and rays subgroup. It belongs to the family Carcharhinidae in the order Carcharhiniformes.

### What is the scientific name of the bull shark?

The scientific name of the bull shark is Carcharhinus leucas, placing it in the genus Carcharhinus.

### Is the bull shark endangered?

The bull shark is listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List in its global assessment. Vulnerable is a threatened category.

### Who named the bull shark and when?

The scientific name Carcharhinus leucas carries the authority (Valenciennes, 1839).

### What are other names for the bull shark?

Other English names for the bull shark are Cub shark, River shark, River whaler, Estuary shark and Zambezi shark.

### What class does the bull shark belong to?

The bull shark belongs to the class Elasmobranchii, within the phylum Chordata and kingdom Animalia.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525), CC BY 4.0, 1.0-2022-06-17. Mull, C.G., Pacoureau, N., Pardo, S.A. et al. (2022) Sharkipedia: a curated open access database of shark and ray life history traits and abundance time-series. Scientific Data 9: 559. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01655-1. Data: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6656525
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/bull-shark