Requiem sharks
Lemon shark
Negaprion brevirostris
A large coastal shark whose yellow-brown coloring blends with sandy shallows.
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Every figure uses the same scale. The shark image is shown at the species’ published maximum length; individual animals vary.
Shallow coastal water, mangroves, bays, estuaries, reefs, and sandy flats.
Western Atlantic from the U.S. East Coast through the Gulf, Caribbean, and to Brazil; also found in the eastern Pacific.
Mostly shallow coastal water
Fish, rays, crustaceans, and occasionally smaller sharks.
Yellow-brown color, blunt snout, and two dorsal fins that are nearly equal in size.
Live-bearing; shallow mangrove and coastal habitats serve as nursery areas for pups.
Species facts
Did you know?
Young lemon sharks can remain associated with the same nursery area for years.
Their coloring provides camouflage over sandy seafloors.