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Lemon Shark

Negaprion brevirostris

Fish · family Carcharhinidae · order Carcharhiniformes

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Lemon Shark
Photo: Albert kok, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
Native in
7 states[2]
Longest recorded life
20 years[3]

The Lemon Shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is a fish in the shark family Carcharhinidae[4]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act, and NatureServe records it as native in 7 US states and territories[1][2].

Conservation status

The US Fish and Wildlife Service data does not list the Lemon Shark as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act[1]. That only describes federal listing on the check date, and listings can change by federal rule. NatureServe also gives each state its own conservation rank, shown in the table on this page[5].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed

Where Lemon Shark lives

NatureServe lists the Lemon Shark as native in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas[2]. That is where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see one there. Observation reports on GBIF come most often from Florida, California, North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina[6]. Those counts follow where people look and report, not how many sharks live there[6].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: not recordedNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: not recordedCAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: native, state rank SNRDEArizona: not recordedAZNew Mexico: not recordedNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S3SCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: native, state rank S3LAMississippi: native, state rank S2MSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: native, state rank SNRGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S2TXFlorida: native, state rank S3FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[5].
Show state ranks (7 states)
StateRankMeaning
DelawareSNRNot Ranked
FloridaS3Vulnerable
GeorgiaSNRNot Ranked
LouisianaS3Vulnerable
MississippiS2Imperiled
South CarolinaS3Vulnerable
TexasS2Imperiled

Habitat

NatureServe records three habitat types for the Lemon Shark. These are bays and sounds, river mouths and tidal rivers, and near shore waters[7].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[7]

Lifespan

In the AnAge database, the longest recorded lifespan for a Lemon Shark in the wild is 20 years[3]. That is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge gives the age at female sexual maturity as 4,636 days[8].

Trait Value
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[3] 20 years (wild)
Litter or clutch size[9] 7.4
Female maturity[8] 4,636 days (about 12.7 years)

When to look for it

People report Lemon Sharks in the United States all year, but GBIF records bunch in April, June and August[10]. These records show when people look and report, not how many animals are around[10].

January: 140 recordsJanFebruary: 64 recordsFebMarch: 110 recordsMarApril: 416 recordsAprMay: 124 recordsMayJune: 165 recordsJunJuly: 159 recordsJulAugust: 169 recordsAugSeptember: 49 recordsSepOctober: 76 recordsOctNovember: 60 recordsNovDecember: 73 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[10].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January140
February64
March110
April416
May124
June165
July159
August169
September49
October76
November60
December73

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Lemon Shark as present in 6 park units[11]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Florida, California, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina[6]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Lemon Shark endangered?
It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS data[1]. NatureServe also gives state ranks, shown in the table on this page[5].
Where does the Lemon Shark live in the US?
NatureServe lists it as native in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas[2]. Its habitats include bays and sounds, river mouths and tidal rivers, and near shore waters[7].
How long does a Lemon Shark live?
The longest recorded lifespan in the wild is 20 years[3]. This is a record, not a typical lifespan[3].
When can you see a Lemon Shark?
GBIF observation records are spread through the year and bunch in April, June and August[10]. Records reflect when people look and report, not how many sharks there are[10].

Facts and sources

  1. Lemon Shark is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe lists Lemon Shark as native in 7 US states and territories: Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  3. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 20 years in the wild. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  4. Lemon Shark (Negaprion brevirostris) is a fish in the family Carcharhinidae, order Carcharhiniformes. NatureServe Explorer
  5. NatureServe state ranks for Lemon Shark (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  6. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Lemon Shark: Florida, California, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  7. Habitat types NatureServe records for Lemon Shark: Bay/sound, River mouth/tidal river, Near shore. NatureServe Explorer
  8. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 4,636 days (about 12.7 years). AnAge
  9. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 7.4. AnAge
  10. GBIF observation records of Lemon Shark in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  11. NPSpecies park lists recording Lemon Shark as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Albert kok, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.