Shark Fact or Fantasy?
1. Sharks have lived in the ocean millions of years. This is a fact. The first sharks appeared in our oceans about 415 million years ago! We’ve been around for about a million years depending on your definition of a human
Sharks must adjust the pressure in their gas bladder to ascend and descend. This is a Fantasy! Sharks are chondrichthyes. Their skeletons are made of cartilage and they have no swim bladder! However…
Sharks do have something to help them stay afloat. A large liver. The liver can be 25% of a shark’s total weight!
3. Sharks must always be swimming or they sink to the bottom and die. Fantasy Bottom dwelling species like angel, horn and puffer sharks lie on the floor for hours or days, without any problem! Also…
Some larger Sharks may lie without moving as long as they stay in a moving current. Sharks have been observed resting in caves off the Yucatan Peninsula and in caves near Japan.
4. Sharks use relatively little energy when swimming. Fact! Sharks bodies are very streamlined.
Streamlining Features: Triangular body shape Broad pectoral fins provide lift like a glider A-symmetrical caudal fin—top lobe is longer than bottom lobe Cause slight upward angle of fish Large, flat ventral surface
All Sharks have big, sharp teeth. Fantasy Different sharks have different kinds of teeth! For Instance…
Bottom-dwelling sharks often have sharp inward-pointing teeth For seizing and holding prey Larger fish-eating sharks have long, dagger like teeth For tearing into fish and breaking them into bite-sized chunks
Shark Teeth Cont. Some sharks have needle-like spikes at the bottom of each fang For holding prey Several species have teeth which are serrated like steak knives The whale shark has thousands of teeth but they are only 1/8 inch long! This works because they feed on plankton! Oh My!
Shark Teeth Cont. The Great White, Bull and Dusky sharks have triangular, serrated upper teeth For shearing through muscle and bone. The lower are more pointed for holding and cutting.