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WHAT IS A GANGES RIVER SHARK?

This extremely rare species of fish lives in freshwater estuaries in India and other nearby regions. 

Little is known about this animal, as few have ever been found and studied.

It is very similar to other river-dwelling shark species such as the Borneo river shark (Glyphis fowlerae) and the Irrawaddy river shark (Glyphis siamensis).

This particular species can be identified by the first few lower front teeth, which have cutting edges along entire cusp, giving the cusps a claw-like shape.

They are very similar to bull sharks, and many of Ganges sharks seen in the past were misidentified and are in fact bull sharks.

Subtle differences, such as the teeth, are used to identify the shark species as well as a second dorsal fin that is about half the height of the first.

Few of these animals have ever been spotted, with most of our knowledge coming from a group found in the Ganges river in 1996. 

They are currently critically endangered and many believe them to be extinct.

Inhabiting only freshwater, it is believed this mysterious fish is particularly sensitive to habitat loss and has been over-fished in the last 30 years.

One specimen is believed to have been spotted in a fish market in Mumbai in 2018 - after not being seen since 2006.

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