Fresh Water Sharks In Cumberland?
Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:44 pm
I dont think they are here cause someone would have caught one by now...but is it possible?
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While many people are afraid to go into the ocean because they fear sharks, they do not fear lakes where they often come into close contact with fresh water sharks.
They can still be found in large bodies of fresh water in central and southern states that have sufficient ecosystems to support these large predatory fish.
Freshwater sharks rarely achieve lengths greater than 8 feet. This is thought to be due to the fact that they are dormant in colder weather and do not feed year round. It could also be an adaptation needed to survive in a limited body of water with limited food supply. The longest freshwater shark on record was found in Deep Creek Lake in the western panhandle of Maryland in 1983. It measured 9 feet 4 inches in length and weighed 512 pounds. The only other freshwater shark over 8 feet in length was found in Lake Cumberland, Kentucky in 2001.It was 8 feet 7 inches long and weighed 428 pounds and was thought to be responsible for all 3 shark attacks in that lake that summer.
http://www.drizz.com/freshwater_sharks.htm
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While many people are afraid to go into the ocean because they fear sharks, they do not fear lakes where they often come into close contact with fresh water sharks.
They can still be found in large bodies of fresh water in central and southern states that have sufficient ecosystems to support these large predatory fish.
Freshwater sharks rarely achieve lengths greater than 8 feet. This is thought to be due to the fact that they are dormant in colder weather and do not feed year round. It could also be an adaptation needed to survive in a limited body of water with limited food supply. The longest freshwater shark on record was found in Deep Creek Lake in the western panhandle of Maryland in 1983. It measured 9 feet 4 inches in length and weighed 512 pounds. The only other freshwater shark over 8 feet in length was found in Lake Cumberland, Kentucky in 2001.It was 8 feet 7 inches long and weighed 428 pounds and was thought to be responsible for all 3 shark attacks in that lake that summer.
http://www.drizz.com/freshwater_sharks.htm
