Lemon sharks get their name from the colour of their skin. It helps them hunt near sandy seafloors. They’re found in subtropical waters, near coral reefs, mangroves and river mouths and can swim upstream into freshwater rivers, though only for short periods as they do not have the evolutionary adaptations to stay buoyant in fresh water for long periods. They can grow up to about 3.2m and have very poor eyesight so they rely primarily on electroreceptivity to hunt prey and navigate the waters. However, Lemon Sharks tend to live in murky waters, so they have adapted unique eyes to help them see. Like humans, the eyes of the Lemon Shark contain both rods and cones which help them pick up shapes and colors. They have a special retina that reduces glare and helps them see very light wavelengths in the yellow-green color spectrum.

In this picture, you can also see the Ampullae of Lorenzini, small pores on the shark’s head, seen here just behind its eye. A good distribution of these pores allows the shark to navigate and to sense subtle changes in pressure, possibly signifying movement around it. That allows it to hunt.

Wantok Photography

When life gives you lemons

When life gives you lemons

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