Bull Sharks are circumtropical top predators able to tolerate a wide range of salinity conditions that include freshwater. In several areas of Central America this species is known to migrate upstream in rivers and is commonly found in freshwater. The Panama Canal, an engineered system critical for global shipping, has experienced repeated marine fish incursions into Lake Gatun, the freshwater portion of the system, since it opened over 100 years ago. With increased numbers of species and abundance of these marine migrants into the system it is surprising that no credible reports of Bull Sharks have been made to date. Here we present the first confirmed report of a Bull Shark captured in Lake Gatun, 30 km from the Pacific entrance of the Canal. Analyzing its DNA barcode and vertebral morphometrics and chemistry, we were able to infer the origin (Pacific Ocean), the total length and age (120–150 cm, 2–3 year old) and likely pupping of this shark in low salinity areas adjacent to the Canal. The recent capture of more bull sharks by the artisanal fisher who collected the study shark and a video of sharks at the seaward entrance to the new Pacific locks indicates that there is the potential for increased contact between Pacific and Atlantic Bull Shark populations through the Panama Canal.
Castellanos-Galindo G.A., Robertson D.R., Bravo V., Saltonstall K., Sanchez P., Morales L., Cahill R. and Torchin M.E. (2026) First Confirmed Record of a Bull Shark in Lake Gatun, the Freshwater Body of the Panama Canal. Ecology and Evolution 16(2): e73114. 10.1002/ece3.73114
@article{Castellanos-Galindo2026,
Title = {First Confirmed Record of a Bull Shark in Lake Gatun, the Freshwater Body of the Panama Canal},
Author = {Castellanos-Galindo, Gustavo A. and Robertson, D. Ross and Bravo, Victor and Saltonstall, Kristin and Sanchez, Phillip and Morales, Lucia and Cahill, Richard and Torchin, Mark E.},
Editor = {},
Journal = {Ecology and Evolution},
Year = {2026},
Pages = {e73114},
Volume = {16},
Doi = {10.1002/ece3.73114},
Abstract = {Bull Sharks are circumtropical top predators able to tolerate a wide range of salinity conditions that include freshwater. In several areas of Central America this species is known to migrate upstream in rivers and is commonly found in freshwater. The Panama Canal, an engineered system critical for global shipping, has experienced repeated marine fish incursions into Lake Gatun, the freshwater portion of the system, since it opened over 100 years ago. With increased numbers of species and abundance of these marine migrants into the system it is surprising that no credible reports of Bull Sharks have been made to date. Here we present the first confirmed report of a Bull Shark captured in Lake Gatun, 30 km from the Pacific entrance of the Canal. Analyzing its DNA barcode and vertebral morphometrics and chemistry, we were able to infer the origin (Pacific Ocean), the total length and age (120–150 cm, 2–3 year old) and likely pupping of this shark in low salinity areas adjacent to the Canal. The recent capture of more bull sharks by the artisanal fisher who collected the study shark and a video of sharks at the seaward entrance to the new Pacific locks indicates that there is the potential for increased contact between Pacific and Atlantic Bull Shark populations through the Panama Canal.},
}
TY - JOUR
AU - Castellanos-Galindo, Gustavo A.
AU - Robertson, D. Ross
AU - Bravo, Victor
AU - Saltonstall, Kristin
AU - Sanchez, Phillip
AU - Morales, Lucia
AU - Cahill, Richard
AU - Torchin, Mark E.
TI - First Confirmed Record of a Bull Shark in Lake Gatun, the Freshwater Body of the Panama Canal
T2 - Ecology and Evolution
PY - 2026
SP - e73114
VL - 16
DO - 10.1002/ece3.73114
AB - Bull Sharks are circumtropical top predators able to tolerate a wide range of salinity conditions that include freshwater. In several areas of Central America this species is known to migrate upstream in rivers and is commonly found in freshwater. The Panama Canal, an engineered system critical for global shipping, has experienced repeated marine fish incursions into Lake Gatun, the freshwater portion of the system, since it opened over 100 years ago. With increased numbers of species and abundance of these marine migrants into the system it is surprising that no credible reports of Bull Sharks have been made to date. Here we present the first confirmed report of a Bull Shark captured in Lake Gatun, 30 km from the Pacific entrance of the Canal. Analyzing its DNA barcode and vertebral morphometrics and chemistry, we were able to infer the origin (Pacific Ocean), the total length and age (120–150 cm, 2–3 year old) and likely pupping of this shark in low salinity areas adjacent to the Canal. The recent capture of more bull sharks by the artisanal fisher who collected the study shark and a video of sharks at the seaward entrance to the new Pacific locks indicates that there is the potential for increased contact between Pacific and Atlantic Bull Shark populations through the Panama Canal.
ER -
