However, this species do not venture far into freshwater systems. The lemon shark is commonly found in subtropical shallow water to depths of 300 feet (90 m) around coral reefs, mangroves, enclosed bays, sounds and river mouths. In the North Pacific, the lemon shark ranges from the Gulf of California and Baja California south to Ecuador (Sundström 2015). It is unknown whether the eastern and western Atlantic individuals are the same species.
Lemon sharks inhabit coastal inshore waters from New Jersey (US) to Southern Brazil, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean and along Senegal and the Ivory Coast of Africa in the eastern Atlantic. Geographical Distribution World distribution for the lemon shark. The IUCN is a global union of states, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations in a partnership that assesses the conservation status of species. > Check the status of the lemon shark at the IUCN website. Some scientists believe that the lemon shark population has been depleted in recent years, specifically in Florida waters (Sundström 2015). The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) rates this species as “Near Threatened”. Currently, they are monitored through a quota and seasonal based management plan (NMFS). Lemon sharks are part of an aggregate of sharks, that are managed collectively as a single group creferred to as “the large coastal sharks”. The Highly Migratory Species Division of the National Marine Fisheries Service manages shark species in US Atlantic waters. There are currently no management plans in place specifically for the lemon shark (Sundström 2015). View shark attacks by species on a world map Conservation Lemon shark. While the number of attacks attributed to this species is low caution is still warranted as they are a large predatory species (ISAF 2018). The lemon shark inhabits coastal waters in close proximity to swimmers, surfers and divers. There have been no fatal attacks attributed to this species. According to the International Shark Attack File, there have been only 10 unprovoked attacks by lemon sharks, all occurring in Florida and the Caribbean. Lemon sharks represent little threat to humans.
#LEMON SHARK SKIN#
Their fins are highly prized and exported to Asia for shark fin soup and their skin is used for leather. The meat is consumed in Central America, South America, and the US.
The US bottom longline fishery commonly targets this species and it is also caught as by-catch in both pelagic and gillnet fisheries. The lemon shark is targeted by commercial and recreational fisheries along the US Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. The lemon shark gets its name because of its pale yellow-brown coloring. Lemon sharks are commonly exhibited in aquaria and research studies (Compagno et al. They are social animals that can be seen in aggregations and prefer a defined home range. Lemon sharks average between 8 to 10 feet long as adults, but are generally not considered a threat to humans. The lemon shark is easily recognized for its two, equally-sized dorsal fins and its yellow-brown to olive color- an ideal camouflage against the sandy in-shore areas they prefer to forage in.