A Shark That Lives in Fresh Water, Not the Ocean
The Ganges shark, Glyphis gangeticus, is a true freshwater shark, not a bull shark passing through, not a myth, but a species that evolved specifically for the turbid, sediment-heavy waters of Indian river systems. Its eyes are unusually small and sit high on its head, an adaptation that makes sense in a river where visibility can drop to centimetres: it navigates and hunts largely by detecting electrical fields and vibrations rather than by sight. It belongs to the family Carcharhinidae, the requiem sharks, and is one of only a few obligate freshwater shark species known to science.
