A bull shark swimming in a fish tank. Known to scientists as Carcharhinus leucas, the bull shark is among the world's most dangerous shark species. [File Photo: sznews.com]

An aggressive bull shark exhibited at Shenzhen Xiaomeisha Aquarium claimed its latest victim, a lemon shark with whom it had shared a fish tank for ten years, on Sunday.

According to a Guangzhou Daily report, the 2.1 meter bull shark had a long history as a troublemaker. It began slaughtering other fish in the tank after being bought by the aquarium mistakenly as an ordinary shark in 1999. The killing spree continued for three years until it was finally recognized as a bull shark by a Hong Kong aquarium expert.

Known to scientists as carcharhinus leucas, the bull shark is considered one of the world's three most aggressive shark species along with tiger shark and great white shark.

Since 2002 the aquarium has kept the bull shark in a zone separated from other fish except the ill-fated lemon shark, which was also considered violent. But if in the following seven years visitors had wondered which of the two species was more dangerous, the question was settled on Sunday when aquarium staff found the lemon shark slain during a routine inspection.

The aquarium estimated the killing took place at about 4 am that day.

Technical staff at the aquarium told Guangzhou Daily that they would monitor the shark more closely in the future.

(CRI March 2, 2009)