The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is one of the most common shark species found in The Bahamas and plays a crucial role as a top predator in these marine ecosystems. 

By regulating prey populations, lemon sharks help maintain the delicate balance of ocean life. However, despite their reputation as formidable predators, these sharks begin life as small and vulnerable pups, facing numerous challenges before reaching adulthood.

How Juvenile Sharks Use Coastal Habitats for Protection

Lemon shark pups are born at just 60 cm (about 2 ft) in length, a stark contrast to the 3-meter (12 ft) giants they can grow into at maturity. It takes years for them to grow large enough to avoid predation by other marine predators, including larger sharks. To increase their chances of survival, lemon shark pups rely on specific coastal habitats known as nurseries. These shallow, sheltered environments provide abundant food and hiding places, reducing their risk of predation.

Lemon shark nurseries host multiple young sharks at once, often from different mothers and at varying ages. Research has shown that lemon shark pups display strong site fidelity, meaning they remain in their nursery grounds for several years—sometimes up to 11 years. Even more remarkably, pregnant females return to the very same nurseries where they were born to give birth to their own offspring, continuing this cycle across generations. In The Bahamas, including Bimini, Andros, and Eleuthera, juvenile lemon sharks utilize tidal creeks and saltwater lagoons as nurseries. These habitats provide researchers with unique opportunities to study their growth, behavior, and survival in the wild.

An Unexpected Survival Challenge: Cannibalism

One of the most fascinating—and gruesome—facts about lemon sharks is their tendency toward cannibalism. Larger individuals have been observed preying on smaller members of their own species. While cannibalism occurs in various animal species, it is rarely documented in sharks. In lemon shark nurseries, this behavior is so significant that pups have developed strategies to reduce their risk of being eaten by their larger counterparts.

Research indicates that lemon shark pups practice size-based spatial segregation within nurseries. The smallest individuals tend to occupy the shallowest areas, where they are less likely to encounter predators, while larger juveniles move into deeper sections, where they can hunt more efficiently. Additionally, newborn pups often form small groups with others of similar size, possibly as a defensive strategy against larger, more cannibalistic individuals.

Evidence from the Field

During our juvenile lemon shark surveys in the nurseries of South Eleuthera, we frequently encounter pups bearing bite scars—some fresh, others already healed. These wounds suggest previous encounters with older or bigger individuals. By documenting these injuries, we can assess how cannibalism attempts impact the health and survival of young sharks. Factors such as body condition, growth rates, and stress markers can provide insight into whether these encounters have lasting physiological effects.

The shark pictured above is a female pup, captured in Starved Creek—one of our study sites to investigate the effects of urban pollution on early-life lemon sharks. She measured 61 cm in total length and still had an open umbilical scar, indicating that she is less than 12 months old. 

The visible bite scar on her body is evidence of a likely cannibalism attempt, from which she managed to escape and recover. Given the rapid healing abilities of sharks, as documented in previous studies, this attack likely occurred within her first few weeks of life, though it could have been more recent.

With continued research, we hope to recapture this particular shark in future surveys. Lemon shark pups are known for their strong fidelity to their nursery habitats, and recaptures are common—sometimes occurring multiple times. Tracking individual sharks over time helps us better understand their growth, movement patterns, and survival strategies in these vital early-life habitats.