Sharks By Marla Batista

The Facts  Class Chondrichthyes  750 Various Species  Skeleton made of cartilage  Bony razor sharp teeth  Lateral line system  Oil in liver to help them sink  Sharp sense of sight and smell  Cousins are the rays and skates

Anatomy of a Shark

Ampullae of Lorenzini  These are the jelly- filled pores all over a sharks body that detect the presence of other creatures  They are the sharks sensory device and help them to sense the vibrations of fish in the water

Shark ATTACKS !  They are not as common as people think  However, they will be attracted to people if they think they look like a source of food or to protect themselves.

Things to wear with caution at the beach FFFFlippers and wet suits(look like seals) SSSSilver jewelery(silver sides or other silvery fish) BBBBright colored swim suits(tropical fish) DDDDo not have open cuts/wounds in water…blood will draw the sharks near!!!

Alligators vs. Sharks  From , there were 13 fatalities due to alligators in Florida.  In this span of time, there were only 8 Florida shark attack fatalities

Lightning vs. Sharks  In the span of time from , there have been 425 fatalities due to lightning strikes in Florida.  In the time, still only 8 shark attack fatalities in comparison.

What are people more prone to dying to?  Bee stings  Snake bites  Sting ray stingers  Dehydration  LIGHTNING STRIKES!

Localized Stock Depletion  This is a fisheries concept that refers to the depletion of a species in a highly restricted part of its geographic range.  Intensive fishing of degradation of habitat can cause the species to be “hole-punched” in specific locality.

A hypothesis  Stated by the ICUN/SSC Shark Specialist Group of the Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, FL:  “That many, if not most, shark species are philopatric for their natal nursery areas and other critical parts of their ranges, such as winter feeding grounds. This philopathy, furthermore, makes them even more susceptible to regional over fishing and habitat destruction.”

National Shark Research Consortium  Comprised of 4 major U.S Shark Research Organizations  These oraganizations, together, are qualified to conduct studies of sharks and their relatives on national, international, and global scales.

Resources  harks/sharkAnatomy/html. harks/sharkAnatomy/html harks/sharkAnatomy/html  h/sharks/sharks.htm- website for Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department h/sharks/sharks.htm- h/sharks/sharks.htm-  Notes from Dr. Ehringer  Text Book-