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South Florida Gamefish Species
Bull Shark
The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as the bull whaler,
Zambezi shark or unofficially known as Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua
shark in Nicaragua, is a shark common worldwide in warm, shallow
waters along coasts and in rivers. The bull shark is well known for its
unpredictable, often aggressive behavior. Many scientists agree that since
bull sharks often dwell in shallow waters, they may be more dangerous to
humans than any other species of sharks, and that they join tiger sharks
and great white sharks as the three shark species most likely to attack
humans.
Unlike most other marine sharks, bull sharks tolerate fresh water. They can travel far up rivers. As a result,
they are probably responsible for the majority of shark attacks on humans that take place near the shore,
including many attacks attributed to other species. However, bull sharks are not true freshwater sharks
(unlike the river sharks of the genus Glyphis).
Blacktip Shark
The blacktip shark, Carcharhinus limbatus, is a large shark, native to the
continental and insular shelves of tropical and warm temperate seas
around the world.
The blacktip is a large fairly stout shark, grey in colour, normally with
black-tipped fins. It has a long, narrow, pointed snout, long gill slits, a
large first dorsal fin and fairly large second dorsal.  
Behaviour and diet
Blacktip shark at Walker Cay (Bahamas)
Like its close relative the spinner shark, C. brevipinna, the blacktip shark is a fast swimming shark capable
not only of breaching, or leaping out of the water, but also of rotating (spinning) several times before
re-entering the water. Some consider it non-aggressive and unlikely to attack humans without stimulus, but it
is blamed for the majority of shark bites in Florida numbering several dozen a year.
There is some evidence of segregation with some populations showing separation between groups of adult
males and non-pregnant females on the one hand and pregnant females and young on the other.

Blacktip sharks feed mainly on a wide range of bony fish: sardines, herring, mullet, jacks, and Spanish
mackerel, among others; the young of other sharks including dusky sharks; and some cephalopods and
crustaceans.
Hammerhead Shark
The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks in the family Sphrynidae,
so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which
are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a
"cephalofoil". Most hammerhead species are placed in the genus
Sphyrna; some authorities place the winghead shark in its own genus,
Eusphyra. Many, not necessarily mutually exclusive, functions have been
proposed for the cephalofoil, including sensory reception, maneuvering,
and prey manipulation.
Hammerheads are found worldwide in warmer waters along coastlines and continental shelves.

The nine known species of hammerhead range from 0.9 to 6 m long (3 to 20 feet). All the species have a
projection on each side of the head that gives it a resemblance to a flattened hammer. The shark's eyes and
nostrils are at the tips of the extensions.

The hammer shape of the head was thought to help sharks find food, aiding in close-quarters
maneuverability and allowing the shark to turn sharply without losing stability. However, it was found that the
special design of its vertebrae allowed it to make the turns correctly, more than its head. But as a wing the
hammer would also provide lift; hammerheads are one of the most negatively buoyant of sharks.

Like all sharks, hammerheads have electroreceptory sensory pores called ampullae of Lorenzini. By
distributing the receptors over a wider area, hammerheads can sweep for prey more effectively. These sharks
have been able to detect an electrical signal of half a billionth of a volt. The hammer-shaped head also gives
these sharks larger nasal tracts, increasing the chance of finding a particle in the water by at least 10 times
as against the ability of other 'classical' sharks.

Wider spacing between sensory organs better enables an organism to detect gradients and therefore the
location of a gradient source such as food or a mate. The peculiar head of this shark can be thought of as
analogous to the antennae of an insect.

Hammerheads have disproportionately small mouths and seem to do a lot of bottom-hunting. They are also
known to form schools during the day, sometimes in groups of over 100. In the evening, like other sharks,
they become solitary hunters.

Hammerheads are notably one of the few creatures in the animal kingdom to acquire a tan from prolonged
exposure to sunlight, a feature shared by pigs and humans. Tanning occurs when a hammerhead is in
shallow waters or close to the surface for long periods.
Bonnethead Shark
The bonnethead shark or shovelhead, Sphyrna tiburo, is a member of the
hammerhead shark genus Sphyrna. The Greek word sphyrna translates
as hammer, referring to the shape of this shark's head - tiburo is the
Taino (Native American) word for shark.
Characterized by a broad, smooth, spade-like head, has a pretty face, they have the smallest cephalofoil
(hammerhead) of all Sphyrna. Grey-brown above and lighter on the underside, it is a timid and a harmless
shark. On average, bonnethead sharks are about 1 m (3.4 ft) long, being the smallest hammerhead shark.
Lemon Shark
The lemon shark is found mainly along the subtropical and tropical parts
of the Atlantic coast of North and South America. This species can be
found as well in Pacific islands of Polynesia - French Polynesia - Tahiti,
the Cook Islands, and Tonga. The longest lemon shark recorded was 12
ft long, but they are usually 8 to 10 ft (3.0 m). They like tropical water, and
like to stay at moderate depths.
Lemon sharks are viviparous, females giving birth to between 4 and 17 young every other year in warm and
shallow lagoons. The young have to fend for themselves and remain in shallow water near mangroves until
they grow larger. With increasing size, the sharks venture further away from their birth place. At maturity at a
size of 1.5 to 2 m and an age of 12 to 15 years, they leave shallow water and move into deeper waters
offshore. However, little is known of this life stage. Maximum recorded length and weight is 340 cm and 183
kg. They can be extremely aggressive and protective if young sharks are around.

Recent work in genetics by Drs. Kevin Feldheim, Sonny Gruber and Mary Ashley may suggest that adult
sharks move over hundreds of km to mate, or populations far apart may have been separated in recent time.
Further research in this area would be of immense importance for the understanding of the lemon shark's
breeding behaviour and ecology.

Lemon sharks are a popular choice for study by scientists as they survive well in captivity, unlike many other
species such as the great white shark, which dies in captivity because of food refusal. The species is the
best known of all sharks in terms of behaviour and ecology, mainly thanks to the enormous effort of Dr.
Samuel Gruber at the University of Miami who has been studying the lemon shark both in the field and in the
laboratory since 1967. The population around the Bimini Islands in the western Bahamas, where Dr Gruber's
field station, Bimini Biological Field Station, is situated, is probably the best known of all shark populations.
As of 2007, it is experiencing a severe population decline and may disappear altogether due to destruction of
the mangroves for construction of a golf resort. There have been 22 lemon shark attacks since 1580 with no
deaths.