bull shark tagged posts

Bull sharks may form ‘friendships’ with each other

Bull sharks are one of the eight shark species that live in the marine protected area off the coast of Fiji’s largest island Viti Levu

They reach 3.5 metres long, weigh more than 200kg and are an apex predator. But even apex predators need friends. And, according to new research, bull sharks may be capable of making them. A recently published study from Fiji shows that bull sharks develop companionships – with some sharks showing preferences for certain individuals and avoiding others.

Researchers studied data collected over 3,000 shark dives in Fiji’s Shark Reef Marine Reserve (SRMR), one of the world’s most sought-after diving destinations. The dives spanned 13 years and noted the behaviour of 91 individual bull sharks, clearly distinguishable by external features, such as scars and deformed or missing fins.

Using a number of statistical approaches, the researchers looked for patterns of associations betw...

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