TYPES OF SHARKS
To wrap it up, let's look at some of
the types of sharks we've been discussing.
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ANGEL SHARK:
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flat body like a stingray -- you can
tell the shark is not a ray because the pectoral fins are not attached to
the head.
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They bury themselves in the sand or mud with only the eyes and part of the top of the body exposed.
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They are bottom feeders, eating crustaceans like clams
and mollusks and fish that are swimming close to the ocean floor
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BASKING SHARK:
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second largest shark (about 30 feet long and 8,000
pounds)
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filters plankton from the water using "gill rakers"
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BLACKTIP REEF SHARK:
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BLUE SHARK:
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about 12 feet
long.
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sleek, tapered
body
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among the fastest swimming sharks and can even leap out of the water
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diet consists mostly of squid, but it will eat almost anything
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considered dangerous - have
attacked people
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BULL SHARK:
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COOKIECUTTER SHARK:
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GOBLIN SHARK
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very uncommon and likely the strangest looking shark
(rarely seen)
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pale, pinkish grey skin with a long pointed snout (it
looks a bit like a sword on top of its head)
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lives in very deep water.
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found off the coast of Japan in 1898... until that time
it was believed to have been extinct for 100 million years
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GREAT WHITE SHARK:
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more attacks on people than
any other type.
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averages 12 feet long and
3,000 pounds.
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unlike most sharks, it can
lift its head out of the water.
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HAMMERHEAD SHARK:
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unlikely to attack people,
but considered dangerous due to its predatory nature and its size
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eyes and nostrils are far
apart, giving it a "hammerhead" appearance and allowing the
shark to extend the range of its senses.
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MAKO SHARK:
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NURSE SHARK:
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bottom dwelling shark
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thin, fleshy, whisker-like organs on the lower jaw in front of the nostrils that
they use to touch and taste
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hunt at night, sleep by day
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common at aquariums
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SANDTIGER SHARK:
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the sandtiger
shark has very pointed teeth -- the better to eat you with (if
you're a fish!)
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10 feet long
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predator (carnivore)
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nocturnal
(hunts mostly at night)
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Babies:
The mother shark has two uterus. Many sharks begin in the
uterus, but the strongest one in each uterus eats all the others
before they are born.
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SPINY DOGFISH SHARK:
THRESHER SHARK:
TIGER SHARK:
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WHALE SHARK:
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biggest shark and biggest
fish
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it isn't a whale (whales are
mammals, not fish)
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grow to 45 feet long and
30,000 pounds, but average about 25 feet long
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filters plankton from the water using "gill
rakers"
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WHITE TIP REEF SHARK:
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probably the most common
shark encountered by divers and snorkelers on tropical reefs
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about 3 feet long on
average though it can be as big as 6 feet.
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dark grey with a white tip
on the first and sometimes on the second dorsal fin as well as the
tail lobes
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Photo by Yvonne
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WOBBEGONG SHARK:
- about 8 feet long, but virtually harmless.
- lives in Australia and Pacific coastal reefs
- lies on the bottom of the ocean waiting for
fish to come near.
- filters food into its mouth with worm-like
projections on its head
- razor-like teeth
- yellow, brown and gray camouflage
colouring.
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ZEBRA SHARK:
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