{"id":9834,"date":"2023-12-12T07:25:13","date_gmt":"2023-12-12T06:25:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=9834"},"modified":"2023-12-12T07:25:13","modified_gmt":"2023-12-12T06:25:13","slug":"do-sharks-live-in-the-mississippi-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/do-sharks-live-in-the-mississippi-river\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Sharks Live In The Mississippi River"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sharks have long been a mysterious and feared predatory fish, and humans have long been fascinated by their lore and curiosity as to where in the world they can be found. While certain species of sharks can be found in every ocean, the question of whether or not sharks can be found in the Mississippi River is a common one. When trying to ascertain the answer, one must first understand the environment of the Mississippi River itself.<\/p>\n

The Mississippi River is the longest river in North America, covering more than 2,300 miles and flowing through ten states. It is home to a variety of finned fish, such as catfish, bass, carp, and most notably, the paddlefish. However, sharks are not typically found in the Mississippi River due to temperatures, food source and navigational challenges.<\/p>\n

The water temperature of the Mississippi River is the first thing that would likely prohibit the presence of sharks in the river. Despite there being occasional warm spells during the summer months, the average temperature range of the Mississippi River is between 41F and 73F. This range is too cold for most species of tropical and temperate sharks, which tend to prefer a temperature range of 72-88F.<\/p>\n

The lack of food sources to sustain a shark population is another potential obstacle for the presence of these creatures in the Mississippi. While salmon, eel, clams, crabs, and other smaller fish are plentiful in the river, most species of sharks are not equipped to feed on such smaller prey. Even if a shark were to make it past temperature restrictions, there would be a lack of food available to sustain it.<\/p>\n