Recognition: The bull shark has an extremely short snout much shorter than the width of the mouth. a first dorsal fin with pointed apex, and second dorsal fin much smaller than the first. It lacks an interdorsal ridge. The upper teeth have broadly triangular, heavily serrated cusps, the lower teeth have narrow triangular, finely serrated cusps.

Color: Color is pale to dark gray above and white below. Newborn and very small juveniles.

Size: Average size is about 230cm (7.5 ft) but it is said to grow to 350cm (11.5 ft).

Similar species: The oceanic whitetip has a similar snout and teeth, but the tips of its first dorsal and pectoral fins are broadly rounded. The lemon shark has a second dorsal fin that is almost as large as the first

Biology: The bull shark is cosmopolitan in warm waters. In North America it ranges from New York to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. It is a common shallow-water species found in estuaries, harbors, and creeks. It often enters fresh water, sometimes penetrating hundreds of miles upstream.

Economic importance: The species is important in coastal shark fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fishing: It is mainly caught in coastal longlines.