Sharks Codexery

Lemon shark

A social, nocturnal shark with a distinctive yellow hue.

Last updated

Lemon shark

USFWS Headquarters · Public domain

The lemon shark gets its common name from its yellowish skin, and it's part of the requiem shark family.[1] The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says this shark is vulnerable.[2]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassChondrichthyes
  4. SubclassElasmobranchii
  5. DivisionSelachii
  6. OrderCarcharhiniformes
  7. FamilyCarcharhinidae
  8. GenusNegaprion
  9. SpeciesNegaprion brevirostris

Named by (Poey, 1868)

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Lemon shark (CC BY-SA 4.0) · order, family and genus agree with WoRMS AphiaID 105800 (CC BY 4.0)

Conservation status

Vulnerable (VU)

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU▲ this species
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX
Population trend
Not held in our sources — see the assessment
Assessment published
2021

Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category

How big is it?

Size comparison: Lemon shark and a personA 3.43 m long lemon shark drawn to scale next to a 1.8 m tall person. Schematic shapes, not a likeness.3.43 m1.8 m

Largest length in the source, 3.43 m, next to a 1.8 m person.

Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: Wikipedia: Lemon shark

Where the lemon shark has been recorded

Where the lemon shark has been recorded99 mapped locations from 23,292 GBIF occurrence records

Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (23,292 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 39 inland records left out (institution coordinates). 2 isolated far-off records not drawn.

Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain)

Description

Lemon sharks commonly reach 2.4 to 3.1 m in length as adults, with a maximum recorded length of 3.43 m.[3] Adults weigh up to 90 kg, though the maximum recorded weight is 183.7 kg.[3] Their yellow coloring helps them blend in when swimming over sandy seafloors.[4] Their heads contain special electroreceptors, called ampullae of Lorenzini, that pick up electrical pulses from prey.[5]

Caribbean reef sharks and a lemon shark
Caribbean reef sharks and a lemon shark. Image: Albert kok · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Lemon sharks look a lot like bull sharks, but you can tell them apart because their two dorsal fins are about the same size.[6]

Juvenile Lemon Sharks at Key West National Wildlife Refuge
Juvenile Lemon Sharks at Key West National Wildlife Refuge. Image: USFWS Headquarters · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Biology and ecology

Larger lemon sharks sometimes prey on smaller ones.[7] A lemon shark approaches its prey quickly, brakes with its pectoral fins, and then jabs forward to grasp it.[8] Groups of sharks may form a feeding frenzy when they sense blood or hear struggling prey.[9] Relative to their body size, their brain is about as big as a mammal's or a bird's.[10]

Females give birth to live pups after internal fertilization.[11] The typical lifespan is 25 to 30 years.[12] Fish make up the bulk of their diet, but they'll also snack on crustaceans and other bottom-dwelling creatures.[7] Lemon sharks do most of their hunting after dark, using special electroreceptors to track down fish.[12][5]

When food is plentiful, these sharks get picky and show a clear preference for certain types and sizes of prey.[13] Lemon sharks are social animals that hang out in groups or loose gatherings.[14] These groups form based on similar size, though sharks under one year old don't show any size preference.[15] Living in a group gives them perks like better communication, easier courtship, and extra protection.[16]

A lemon shark rests on the bottom as a remora gives him a teeth cleaning
A lemon shark rests on the bottom as a remora gives him a teeth cleaning. Image: GregAmptman · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

But there are downsides too, like a higher chance of catching diseases and having to compete for food.[16] Female lemon sharks mate with multiple males and can hold onto sperm for several months.[17] Females follow a two-year breeding cycle: one year for pregnancy and another for making eggs.[18] It takes lemon sharks about 12 to 16 years to reach sexual maturity.[18]

LemonShark National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth UK
LemonShark National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth UK. Image: Vivalatew · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The biggest litter ever recorded for a lemon shark had 18 pups.[18]

Distribution and habitat

You can find them near Sal Island in Cape Verde.[19] They live in shallow subtropical waters around coral reefs, mangroves, enclosed bays, and river mouths.[20] They've also been spotted in the open ocean, as deep as 92 meters.[20] They stick to continental and island shelves for most of their lives, only heading into open water during migrations.[21]

Mangrove areas act as nurseries, and that's where you'll usually find young lemon sharks.[22][23] These mangroves likely offer plenty of food and shelter from bigger sharks.[22] As lemon sharks grow, they shift to deeper waters.[24] Warm water helps keep their metabolism running smoothly.[24]

Human interactions

Commercial and recreational fishers both target lemon sharks for their meat, fins, and skin.[25] Their biggest threat is overfishing, which has cut their numbers by 50% to 79% over the last fifty years.[25]

Taxonomy and phylogeny

Felipe Poey first named and described the lemon shark in 1868, calling it Hypoprion brevirostris.[26] He later moved it to the genus Negaprion, giving it the scientific name Negaprion brevirostris, which is still its name today.[26] The oldest known lemon shark fossils date back to the Early Miocene and have turned up in Odisha, India, as well as in Peru and Cuba.[27] From the Middle Miocene onward, their fossils become more common across the Americas and western Africa.[27]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jessop, "Lemon Shark (Negaprion brevirostris)", ANGARI Foundation, 2024-03-01 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Nam, "Mercury and selenium levels in lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) in relation to a harmful red tide event", Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2011, p. 549–559 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "FLMNH Ichthyology Department: Lemon Shark", flmnh.ufl.edu; "Negaprion brevirostris, Lemon shark", FishBase (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Carwardine, "The Shark Watcher's Handbook", BBC Worldwide Ltd., 2002 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Evaluation of a Three-Dimensional Magnetic Barrier on Juvenile Negaprion brevirostris"; "Evaluation of a Three-Dimensional Magnetic Barrier on Juvenile Negaprion brevirostris" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  6. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Lemon Shark", Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bright, "The private life of sharks: the truth behind the myth", Stackpole Books, 2000; Guttridge, "Deep danger: intra-specific predation risk influences habitat use and aggregation formation of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris", Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2012-01-20, p. 279–291 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bright, "The private life of sharks: the truth behind the myth", Stackpole Books, 2000 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  9. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bright, "The private life of sharks: the truth behind the myth", Stackpole Books, 2000; Banner, "Use of Sound in Predation by Young Lemon Sharks, Negaprion brevirostris (Poey)", Bulletin of Marine Science, February 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  10. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jacoby, "Social behaviour in sharks and rays: analysis, patterns and implications for conservation", Fish and Fisheries, 2012-12-01, p. 399–417; Guttridge, "Social preferences of juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris", Animal Behaviour, August 2009, p. 543–548 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  11. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "BBC Nature"; Feldheim, "The breeding biology of lemon sharks at a tropical nursery lagoon", Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2002-08-22, p. 1655–1661; Feldheim, "The breeding biology of lemon sharks at a tropical nursery lagoon", Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2002-08-22, p. 1655–1661 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  12. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Lemon Shark", gwinnett.k12.ga.us (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  13. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Newman, "Diet and prey preference of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris", Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2010-01-05, p. 221–234 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  14. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Guttridge, "Social preferences of juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris", Animal Behaviour, August 2009, p. 543–548 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  15. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jacoby, "Social behaviour in sharks and rays: analysis, patterns and implications for conservation", Fish and Fisheries, 2012-12-01, p. 399–417; Guttridge, "Social preferences of juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris", Animal Behaviour, August 2009, p. 543–548; Guttridge, "Social preferences of juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris", Animal Behaviour, August 2009, p. 543–548; Jacoby, "Social behaviour in sharks and rays: analysis, patterns and implications for conservation", Fish and Fisheries, 2012-12-01, p. 399–417 (we als en.wikipedia.org
  16. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Guttridge, "Social preferences of juvenile lemon sharks, Negaprion brevirostris", Animal Behaviour, August 2009, p. 543–548; "Lemon Shark", Oceana; Alexander, "The Evolution of Social Behavior", Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, November 1974, p. 325–383 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  17. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Feldheim, "The breeding biology of lemon sharks at a tropical nursery lagoon", Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2002-08-22, p. 1655–1661; Dibattista, "Are indirect genetic benefits associated with polyandry? Testing predictions in a natural population of lemon sharks", Molecular Ecology, 2008-01-09, p. 783–795; Dibattista, "Are indirect genetic benefits associated with polyandry? Testing predictions in a natural population of lemon sharks", Molecular Ecology, 2008-01-09, p. 783–795 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  18. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Lemon Shark Negaprion brevirostris Shark Database", www.sharkwater.com, 2018-07-31; Feldheim, "The breeding biology of lemon sharks at a tropical nursery lagoon", Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2002-08-22, p. 1655–1661 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  19. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Lemon shark", arkive.org; "Lemon shark", arkive.org (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  20. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Lemon Sharks, Negaprion brevirostris", Marinebio (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  21. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Carlson, J., "Negaprion brevirostris", 2021 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  22. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Ruiz-Abierno, "Distribution and length composition of lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) in a nursery ground in southern Cuba", Environmental Biology of Fishes, 2020-12-01, p. 1583–1594; Wetherbee, "Movement patterns of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris within Atol das Rocas, Brazil: a nursery characterized by tidal extremes", Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2007-08-07, p. 283–293 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  23. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Franks, "The Spatial Ecology and Resource Selection of Juvenile Lemon Sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) in their Primary Nursery Areas", Drexel University, October 2007 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  24. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Guttridge, "Deep danger: intra-specific predation risk influences habitat use and aggregation formation of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris", Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2012-01-20, p. 279–291 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  25. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Carlson, J., "Negaprion brevirostris", 2021; "Florida Museum of Natural History"; Carwardine, "The Shark Watcher's Handbook", BBC Worldwide Ltd., 2002; "Lemon shark", Save Our Seas Foundation (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  26. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Florida Museum of Natural History"; "Florida Museum of Natural History" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  27. Wikipedia, "Lemon shark" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Höltke, "A Review of the Paleobiology of Some Neogene Sharks and the Fossil Records of Extant Shark Species", Diversity, 2024-02-26, p. 147 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Lemon shark (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Test yourself

Three questions drawn from this entry’s sources. Pick an answer to check it.

1. What is the IUCN Red List category of the lemon shark?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Vulnerable.

From the source: “The lemon shark is classified as a "vulnerable" species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.”

2. What is the scientific name of the lemon shark?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Negaprion brevirostris.

From the source: “The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is a species of requiem shark from the family Carcharhinidae, known for its yellowish skin, which inspires its common name.”

3. To which biological family does the lemon shark belong?

Correct.

Not quite. The answer is Carcharhinidae.

From the source: “The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is a species of requiem shark from the family Carcharhinidae, known for its yellowish skin, which inspires its common name.”

Answers checked against the source article

Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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