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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing lemon sharks. Lemon sharks get their name from their yellow-tinged appearance in adults. They’re also known as the requiem shark, however there is a whole family of sharks known as the requiem sharks so we’ll stick with the name lemon shark. These fish are most often found in coastal areas, venturing to waters as deep as 300 feet (90m), however, they are known to migrate in the open ocean, though not much information exists on this behavior. Adults live in reefs and seagrass beds. On occasion, lemon sharks venture into freshwater river mouths, though they never travel far or stay here long. Juveniles live in enclosed bays, often in mangrove forests, where they have protection from predators.

Lemon sharks mate in the spring and summer. The male bites the female while mating which is pretty common among sharks. The females are larger than the males. In size, lemon sharks average between 8-10 feet (2.4-3m) at maximum length. They begin breeding once they reach just over seven and a half feet (230cm) in length. Lemon sharks give birth to 4-17 live young after a 10 to 12 month gestation period. The pups are known to have different paternal genetics, so it’s believed that lemon shark females mate with multiple partners and store the sperm. Females return to the same place to give birth to their young, like sea turtles. This may be yearly or they may take a year break between births. The pups are born live and will remain in this safe haven for about three years until they reach 3 feet (90cm) in length and venture out into deeper waters.

Lemon sharks have populations in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. As adults, they eat fish like eagle rays, catfish, and jacks. They may also take sea birds like gulls. Juveniles may eat more crustaceans and molluscs. These sharks, however, do not eat people. Though large, lemon sharks aren’t considered dangerous to humans when left alone. There have been no recorded fatalities of a human by lemon sharks. If they do ever feel threatened, either by larger fish or other predators, lemon sharks try to make themselves look big. They’ll even chomp their teeth to seem more intimidating! Lemon sharks are opportunistic hunters and will take a meal that’s easily available. While digesting a meal, they may not bother eating again until they get hungry!

Lemon sharks can be told apart from other sharks by checking out their dorsal fins. Lemon sharks have two dorsal fins that are almost equivalent in size! Adults are not known to be predated except by humans while juveniles may be taken by other, larger sharks and barracuda. This is why they remain in the safety of their nurseries. They may even gather in groups for protection and to hunt. Even with all these precautions, in some areas fewer than 50% of the pups will ever make it out of the nursery. If they do survive to breeding age, lemon sharks are believed to reach at least 30 years old in the wild.

Lemon sharks are most active at twilight hours. When they do take a break, lemon sharks can stop swimming. It’s a myth that all sharks need to keep swimming in order to breathe. Some sharks, lemon sharks included, can perform buccal pumping which allows them to force water over their gills without moving.

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