There’s no doubt about it. No creature in today’s oceans is more feared than the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). 51% of Americans admit to being terrified of sharks, and you can be sure it’s the great white they were thinking about. The great white’s dangerous reputation is hugely overblown thanks to sensational Hollywood movies, including … Read more
The fastest shark in the ocean has a maximum speed of 80 kph. The slowest moves at less than one kph, frozen into sluggishness by the frigid waters it frequents. The consensus is that the shortfin mako is the fastest shark in the world, but there’s little evidence to back up such claims. There has … Read more
Sharks have a bad reputation. Each week, another shark attack sneaks into the headlines, leaving us with images of terrifying blood-thirsty marine monsters that hunt down unsuspecting humans. This picture is far from reality. Even the most dangerous shark species attack infrequently, and others are so friendly they behave more like puppies than predators! Far … Read more
Majestic, intelligent, fascinating, and above all, oddly shaped heads! When you think of a hammerhead shark, many words might spring to mind, but how much do you really know about them? We’re going to start by answering what is a hammerhead shark with some basics. Then, we will let you in on some fascinating hammerhead … Read more
Hammerhead sharks have to be one of the strangest creatures found in the ocean. While their bodies look pretty normal, their hammer-shaped heads look like they could come from science fiction or a child’s imagination. There are nine types of hammerhead sharks described by modern marine taxonomists, which makes this one of the smallest shark … Read more
At the end of 2021, there were 512 recognized species of sharks and a further 23 pending approval. When we think of sharks, we almost immediately think of a great white with its five-foot-wide mouth full of 3-inch-long serrated teeth. We hardly ever envisage a cute little creature that could fit in the palm of … Read more
Sharks aren’t as dangerous as you might think. Last year, the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File confirmed a total of 112 shark bites on humans, of which 11 were fatal. By comparison, toasters kill around 300 Americans every year. Nevertheless, a toaster isn’t a particularly intimidating or aggressive appliance, whereas some … Read more
The tresher shark (Alopias vulpinus) is a member of the family of the tresher sharks (Alopiidae) and the order of the mackerel sharks (Lamniformes). It is named for its long, elegant tail, that can be as long as the rest of its body and can be used to stun prey by hitting it. The tresher shark … Read more
Very limited research has shown that the Greenland shark grows by about 0.5 to 1 cm per year. A shark that was captured and tagged off Greenland in 1936 was recaptured in 1952. In 16 years, the shark’s length had only increased by 6 centimeters. Assuming its growth rate is constant (no growth spurts), one … Read more
The sawsharks (Pristiophoriformes) are an order of sharks with long snouts, lined with teeth, used to slash and disable their prey, that is found in sandy bottoms, with the help of their electro-receptors (ampullae of Lorenzini) on the underside of the saw and then taken into the small mouth. Most sawshark occur in waters from … Read more