Carcharhinus leucas (Müller & Henle, 1839 )

Ebert, David A., Wintner, Sabine P. & Kyne, Peter M., 2021, An annotated checklist of the chondrichthyans of South Africa, Zootaxa 4947 (1), pp. 1-127 : 63

Carcharhinus leucas (Müller & Henle, 1839)

Zambezi Shark or Bull Shark

Carcharias (Prionodon) leucas Valenciennes in M̹ller & Henle, 1839: 42 . Syntypes (4): only 2 stuffed syntypes still in existence; MNHN A-9650, MNHN A-9652. Type locality: Antilles , Western Atlantic.

Local synonymy: Carcharhinus melanopterus : Robinson & Dunn, 1923: 63. Eulamnia lamia Smith, 1949a: 42 , fig. 9. Carcharinus zambesensis : Smith, 1952f: 13, pl. Davies, 1963: 18, fig. 5. Carcharhinus vanrooyeni: Smith, 1958a: 12 , pls. (original description, South Africa); Smith, 1961a: 565, pl. 108; Smith, 1962b: 27, pl.; Smith, 1963: 364, figs. 1, 4, 6. Carcharhinus leucas : D’Aubrey, 1964a: 39, pl. 21; Davies, 1964: 32, fig. 15, pls. 11, 21, 25–26, 39, 45–46 (in part: pl. 25 is C. amboinensis ); Davies & Joubert, 1966: 6; Davies & Joubert, 1967: 115; Garrick, 1967: 89; Bass et al., 1973: 37, fig. 13; Garrick, 1982: 81, figs. 40–41; Compagno, 1984b: 378, fig.; Bass et al., 1986: 73, fig. 9.9, pl. 2; Cliff & Wilson, 1986: 14; Compagno, 1988a: 6; Compagno et al., 1989: 64, pl.; Compagno, 1999: 120; Heemstra & Heemstra, 2004: 59; Compagno et al., 2005: 299, fig., pl. 50; Ebert et al., 2013 a: 468, fig., pl. 61; Mann, 2013: 33; NPOA, 2013: 41; da Silva et al., 2015: 246; Ebert & van Hees, 2015: 146; Weigmann, 2016: 857.

South Africa voucher material: SAIAB 6176, SAIAB 6177, SAIAB 13022, SAIAB 21214, SAIAB 75557, SAIAB 99094, SAIAB 99095, SAIAB 99096, SAIAB 200666, SAIAB 200667, SAIAB 200668, SAIAB 200669, SAIAB 201699.

South African distribution: Breede River (WC) to the KZN border with Mozambique.

Remarks: This species is known to utilize freshwater rivers systems in KZN and seasonally during the summer months migrates to the Breede River (WC) where it also moves into the river. This species is one of the three most dangerous sharks in South Africa along with C. carcharias and G. cuvier .

Conservation status: NT (2009).