Negaprion brevirostris, or the lemon shark, gets its common name from its yellowish brown color. The defining features of this shark are its short, blunt snout and two dorsal fins of nearly equal size. Additionally, the top portion of its tail is much larger than the the lower. Adult lemon sharks are generally five to eight feet, but they can reach as large as 11 feet.
Lemon sharks are cartilaginous fishes, belonging to the class Chondrichthyes. Additionally, lemon sharks belong to the family Carcharhinidae, or requiem sharks. This family of sharks is characterized by pointed noses, a pit at the base of the tail, the fifth gill slit above the front of the pectoral fin, two dorsal fins, and the presence of blade-like teeth with a single cusp. Generally, the position of the first dorsal fin in respect to the pectoral fins can determine the species of requiem sharks. For lemons, the dorsal fin starts above the posterior edge of the pectoral fin.
This species of shark can be found along almost the entire eastern seaboard of the United States, throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and down to Brazil. They can also be found in the Pacific along the western coast of Mexico, the Sea of Cortez, and even down to Ecuador. Lemon sharks are an inshore to offshore species inhabiting lagoons, bays, mangrove systems, shallow water reefs, and deeper continental shelves. They are generally found above 100 feet, but Lemons can inhabit depths down to 300 feet.
This species of shark can be found along almost the entire eastern seaboard of the United States, throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and down to Brazil. They can also be found in the Pacific along the western coast of Mexico, the Sea of Cortez, and even down to Ecuador. Lemon sharks are an inshore to offshore species inhabiting lagoons, bays, mangrove systems, shallow water reefs, and deeper continental shelves. They are generally found above 100 feet, but Lemons can inhabit depths down to 300 feet.
Lemon sharks feed on many different marine organisms. They generally feed on bony fish, stingrays, eaglerays, guitarfish, and crustaceans. As adults, they have very few predators, but the juvenile lemon sharks may be preyed upon by other sharks. This species of shark breeds in the spring followed by a gestation period of around a year. The mother then gives birth to anywhere between 4 to 17 fully grown pups. It takes roughly five to seven years for these creatures to reach sexual maturity.
References: "Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department: Lemon Shark." Florida Museum of Natural History. Web. 24 Jan. 2011. <http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/LemonShark/LemonShark.html>.; Humann, Paul, and Ned DeLoach. Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas. Jacksonville, FL: New World Publications, 2002. 442-443. Print.
