Amongst the many living creatures of the aquatic world lurks an evolutionary advanced species called Selachimorpha, commonly known as Sharks. Sharks are the most dominantly feared creatures of the marine world. Although they are perceived as a threat to humans, these animals keep marine organisms in check. Sharks have developed a unique physical structure that enables them to efficiently hunt prey while simultaneously playing a vital role in balancing the ecosystem. These apex predators fall under the classification class Chondrichthyes, which is comprised of cartilaginous skeleton. Chondrichthyes is sub-divided into two classes; the Elasmobranchii, composed of sharks, skates and rays, and the Holocephali (“Shark Taxonomy” 8). As we move further down the scientific classification, identifying these similar looking creatures become more difficult. Their order is separated into two super-orders, which are the extinct Cladoselachimorph and the Euselachii; composed of 12 orders of which only nine are amongst us today (9). Many scientists believe that sharks descended from an eyeless, finless, and boneless leaf shaped fish and that they came to existence at around 400 million years ago (“Shark Evolution” 1). Documented fossil records show that there were over 3,000 types of sharks and may have existed at the same period of time (Jones, “The Epic History of Sharks”). The reason it is difficult to discover them all is due to the rotting of the cartilaginous bone structure (“Shark
Sharks do not have skeletons, but just cartilage. Also their jaws can move independently without any of their other body parts. It allows them to have a stronger hold on their prey. Sharks have oil in their liver that allow them to eat less often. So when they eat us up, they must be really hungry. Their fins help them feel vibrations of other creatures so that they can get into position to pounce on their prey.
Sharks are aquatic creatures and very important to the living with lots of information humans may not understand. To start off, femeles give birth to 7-9 sharks per litter that are 3-4 feet at birth. Next humans believe all sharks are monsters but out of 400 species only 4 sharks have been claimed to attack on humans. Lastly sharks attack for 2 main reasons one reason is for defense and predation. They attack in defense when humans are in or around their territory they attack in predation mistaking people for seals. In conclusion sharks are creatures that humans are still learning about and try to understand them better.
Sharks have been in our oceans for almost 450 million years. Those millions of years of evolution have allowed many different shark species to develop abilities, and to become perfect predators.
Every Jaws fan knows the shark gets it in the end. What they do not know is that too many sharks have gotten it; and that has caused a rapid decline in the shark population over the past thirty years. Since the 1970's, sharks of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico shores have declined eighty-five percent. Sharks are vital animal to our world's ecosystem, and if the decline is not controlled; we could be facing devastating problems in years to come. Information has been obtained from two books: The Shark Almanac by Thomas B. Allen and Sharks, An Introduction for the Amateur Naturalist by Sanford A. Moss. Sources also include a number of online references, among them BBC News, ENS News, The New York Times, and two online scientific
Arising over 350 million years ago, the shark species has been labeled as a human devourer. Now, with the increase in human population, the demand for shark meat, fins, and cartilage are at an all time high; therefore, the existence of the shark is becoming a concern (Budker 1971). Individuals are conditioned to think of sharks as a negative aspect to the environment, which is prolonging the effort to save shark species from becoming extinct. With that in mind, some private as well as national organizations have accepted the challenge of educating and informing people about the existence of the shark specie and its importance to the sea.
Sharks are one of the oceans top predators. They vary in size from the extremely small dwarf shark, to the colossal whale shark. Sharks can be found all across the world’s oceans, from the tropic waters of Hawaii to the sub zero temperatures in the Artic oceans. Of the hundreds of sharks a select few species have actually been recorded in the Artic. Of these few, only three of them spend the majority of their time in these harsh, freezing waters. These sharks are the Greenland, Pacific Sleeper, and Salmon sharks.
Many people call sharks beasts, terrible things, killers, but they are not. For instance sharks need to eat to just like humans. Sharks can eat all day. When sharks eat too much they throw it up and eat more. Sharks fend for themselves when they are hungry they might find other sharks and eat them. Sharks eat squid, shrimp, sardines, tuna. Besides sharks can never stop moving so they don't’ stay in one spot. Lastly sharks might look mean but they are
Shark culling is a practice that is used in some Australian beaches, mainly off the Western coast of Australia and also other Australian beaches across all states. The term 'Shark Culling' describes the capturing and killing of large sharks in the vicinity of swimming beaches, by the use of baited drum lines and shark nets across the coastlines of Australia. Shark culling is a human action, and is threatening the marine ecosystem and having a huge impact on resources and marine life. Marine ecosystems are among the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. Examples include lagoons, salt marshes, coral reefs, intertidal zones, the deep sea, mangroves, estuaries, and the sea floor.
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s article “The Brutal Business of Shark Finning” reminds us that sharks play a key role in the ocean as both predators and scavengers.
Beginning with the simplest one-celled organism, an extraordinary animal rose in the murky waters entitled to a non-comparable killing-eating machine. This organism has become nature’s most genuine and most successful creature that it has remained unchanged for over 250 million years. Nature finally invented the perfect king of the sea. This animal has given the sea it’s “living” adjective; in turn, it was entitled—the “great white shark.”
Sharks have been in existence for more than 300 million years. Their evolution occurred over 150 million years earlier than that of the dinosaurs. Most of the existing fossil data of early sharks was collected from fossilized teeth together with several skin impressions. primitive sharks (Cladodonts) , had teeth which were double-pointed, up to 2metres in length, ate fish as well as crustaceans, and existed approximately 360 million years ago.
Outlasting the worst catastrophes Earth has undergone, it seemed merely forty years ago sharks could and would outlive any event. Yet, even as sharks have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, the summer of 1916 presented the first unexpected change for these great animals.
Sharks have a long history, they can be dated back to over 400 million years ago, one of very few species that live for such a long period without distinction. Within over 400 different species, the smallest shark is only 17 cm in length which is the dwarf shark; while the largest
In the more recent Miocene era and Pliocene era, approximately 16 to 2.5 million years ago, the Carcharocles megalodon roamed the world’s oceans (Pimiento & Clements, 2014). A complete C. megalodon skeleton was never discovered, but a trend in size increase along the megatooth lineage suggests that the species could have reached a length of up to 60 feet (Pimiento & Balk, 2015). This makes the C. megalodon the largest shark known in existence. In addition, typical adult C. megalodon teeth measured 15 centimeters in length (Bendix-Almgreen, 1983). A closer analysis of the teeth reveals a serrated crown with approximately 13 nodules per centimeter (Bendix-Almgreen, 1983). The size and morphology of a C. megalodon tooth indicates that the species
Sharks are one of the most feared carnivores in the sea. There are 365 species of of sharks in the sea as we know today. All sharks are carnivores. Most of them eat live fish, including other sharks. A shark's most common natural enemy is an another shark. Most sharks eat their prey whole, or they tear off large chunks of the bodies. Some sharks crush their prey. Others take out small pieces off flesh from large fish. Sharks also feed on dead or dying animals. Sharks have the reputation of attacking human beings. But less than 100 shark attacks a year are reported throughout the world. Sharks are most common in warm seas and oceans. Whale sharks, are the largest shark known to man. Sharks are classified in the order