| Common Name: | sharks |
| Class: | Chondrichthyes |
| Subclass: | Elasmobranchii |
| Superorder: | Selachii |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus species: | There are approximately 350 different species of sharks |
| FAST FACTS |
| FUN FACTS |
| ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY |
bonnethead shark and pup at Shark Encounter, SeaWorld California
| Description: | |
| Size: | The largest shark is the 13.7 m (45 ft.) whale shark. The 22-25 cm (8.7-9.8 in.) midwater shark and pygmy ribbontail catshark are among the smallest. |
| Weight: | |
| Diet: | The characteristic teeth of each species are adapted to that particular species' diet. The teeth may be serrated or smooth. Most are used for seizing prey, cutting, or crushing. Some sharks are probably not very picky about what they eat. But certain kinds of sharks eat some foods more than others. For example, hammerhead sharks eat mostly stingrays. Tiger sharks eat sea turtles. And whale sharks eat plankton. |
| Gestation: | |
| Sexual maturity: | |
| Life span: | |
| Range: | |
| Habitat: | |
| Population: | |
| Status: | Over the years, people have used sharks for food, medicines, and vitamins; shark teeth for weapons and jewelry; and shark skin for sandpaper. But today some shark populations are on the brink of extinction. Why? Shark meat is a popular food. And thousands of sharks are caught by accident, snagged in nets set out to catch other kinds of fish. |
| RETURN TO TOP | |
| 1. |
Sharks live all over the world, from warm, tropical lagoons to polar seas. Some even inhabit freshwater lakes and rivers! |
| 2. | Sharks are fishes. Like other fishes, sharks are cold-blooded, have fins, live in the water, and breathe with gills. A shark's skeleton is made of cartilage. |
| 3. | A shark's fusiform (rounded and tapering at both ends) body shape reduces drag and requires minimum energy to swim. |
| 4. | Sharks eat far less than most people imagine. Cold-blooded animals have a much lower metabolism than warm-blooded animals. In fact, in a zoological environment, a shark eats about 1% to 10% of its total body weight each week. Studies on sharks in the wild show similar food intake. |
| 5. | Only 32 shark species have ever been known to attack people. Like other wild animals, most sharks would rather avoid you. Sharks that have attacked, probably mistook people for food or may have attacked to protect their territory. |
| RETURN TO TOP | |
|
|
|
| RETURN TO TOP | |
|
|
|
| RETURN TO TOP | |
More information about Sharks