Table of Contents

Introduction

What is a shark?

Body Parts

Size and Weight

Where do they live?

Shark Species

Sharks in danger

Introduction

Some kinds of sharks live in the deepest parts of the ocean. Others are found near the top of the water. A few kinds of sharks get into rivers and lakes from the sea. The point here is that sharks are truly fascinating creatures. Here’s a fact: did you know that shark’s tails help them swim? There is great information in this book that will teach you all about sharks. Let me say something: sharks are a large group of fish that have inhabited the oceans for over 400 million years, even before dinosaurs populated our planet. I bet you didn’t know that! A shark could be your ancestor! Ok, I'm joking. They cannot be your ancestors. There are about 500 species of sharks!

What is a shark?

Sharks are a fish that has been on this planet’s oceans for over 400 million years! As all people know, sharks are meat-eaters. All sharks are meat-eaters. Sharks are fish because they use gills to breathe underwater. 

Body Parts

Tail 

Sharks have a curved tail. The tail helps them swim. Sharks have had the same shaped tail for over a period of 300 million years! The top of the tail is bigger than the bottom part. I like calling the tail Caudal fins.

Teeth

As all people know sharks have sharp teeth that scare people and make them look like terrible monsters when they're not! But did you know that some kinds of sharks have short, flat, grinding teeth. Sharks can have up to 300 teeth at once!

Eyes

Sharks have really good eyes. In dim light they can see well. The structure of a shark’s eyes are similar to our own. Like ours, the pupils of many rods, which sense light and darkness, and most have cones which allow them to see color and details. Some sharks have no or few cones making them colorblind.

Taste

Sharks don't have a strong sense of taste. Taste buds that line the mouth and throat allow them to taste their food before they can make the commitment to swallow. This helps them avoid prey items that have a bad taste. This is why most people survive shark bites. The sharks bite them, but don't like the taste so they leave them be.

Gills

Behind the eyes sharks have around seven gill slits, to use to breathe underwater. All fish have gills. Sharks are a kind of fish.

Smell

Sharks have fantastic noses. As they swim, water passes into their sensory cells. These sensory cells are able to smell chemicals across the water. A shark’s two nostrils can also detect smells separately and find out where it’s originating from.

Size and Weight

Sharks are usually about 5-7 feet long and weigh around 600 to 1,800 kg (kilograms).

Where do they live? 

Some kinds live in the deepest parts of the ocean and others are found near the top of the water. Some sharks stay close to land, and others swim out at sea.

Shark Species

There are many species of sharks in this world. Here are 5 species that you can have a fun time learning about!

Hammerhead Sharks

Ah yes, the Hammerhead Shark. Take one look at this amazing fish and you’ll know how it got its name. The scientific name for its hammerhead shaped head is called Cephalofoil. Found far off shore in warm tropical waters throughout the world, there is one shark that sets itself apart from other shark species in more ways than one – especially in appearances: The Hammerhead Shark. Due to their ability to survive in sandy plains, kelp forests, fresh as well as ocean waters, and intertidal waters, they get around quite easily and you can catch a glimpse of them almost anywhere. They use their oddly-shaped heads to improve their ability to find prey; their wide-set eyes provide superior visual range to most other sharks, and they have highly specialized sensory organs spanning across their heads, so they are able to more thoroughly scan the ocean for their food. Though they have a more mellow temperament than other sharks, the Hammerhead takes hunting for food very seriously, and can locate food more easily due to their increased sense of smell. Their diet consists of small fish, squid, sting rays, crabs, and even other small sharks.

Whale Shark

Whale sharks are the largest shark, and indeed largest of any fishes alive today. They feed on plankton and travel large distances to find enough food to sustain their huge size, and to reproduce. Whale sharks are found in all the tropical oceans of the world. Their white spotted colouration makes these gentle giants easy to distinguish, and popular with snorkelers and divers at sites where they aggregate off the coast. The maximum size of whale sharks is not known, but could be as large as 20m. Females give birth to live young but this has never been observed. Averages 4 to 12 m (13-39 ft.) in length; believed to reach a maximum size of 18 m (59 ft.)WeightUp to 11,800 kg (26,000 lbs.)