The Magnificent Shark

The Magnificent shark

A glimpse into the lives of a few of these fascinating creatures of the sea.

In some form, sharks have been around for about 400 million years. Even before dinosaurs roamed the earth, sharks hunted through the oceans!  There are about 400 species of sharks in the world. They're such good survivors that they've had little need to evolve in the last 150 million years. These ancient predators fascinate adults and children alike. Sharks belong to the class of fish called Chondrichthyes.

Hammerhead sharks are carnivores and have a lifespan of 20-30 years.They can grow up to 20 feet (6 meters) in length and weigh up to 1,000 pounds (450 kg).

The Mako shark is the fastest of all species of sharks in the world. They can swim at a top speed of 60 miles per hour. They weight up to 1,000 pounds. They are between 6 and 9 feet long. They have extremely long teeth that are thin and sharp, but not as sharp as sharks that consume larger fish and aquatic animals. The teeth are slightly tilted as well to help them keep a grip on slippery fish they eat.

Tiger sharks are very aggressive by nature and will stop at nothing to complete a hunt for food. It is the second largest shark found in the world. They can grow to be about 14 feet in lenght and can vary in weight from 850 pounds to 2000 pounds. They can change their colors from blue to green to help them blend in better with their surroundings in the water.

Bull sharks live in both fresh and salt water around the world. The bull shark is classified as number three on the list of most dangerous sharks in the world when it comes to attacks on humans. They are approximately 12 feet in length and up to 1,700 pounds. They are gray on the top and white on the bottom. They also feature two dorsal fins, one that is large and one that is about 1/3 that size.

The whale shark is the biggest of all species. They are about 45 feet in length and can weigh up to 30,000 pounds. The whale shark has between 300 and 350 rows of teeth. In their natural environment they tend to be more than 2,000 feet below the surface of the water.

The megamouth shark is considered to be one of the most rare forms of sharks out there. This is one of the three types of sharks that are filter feeders. They have uniquely designed jaws and gills for it. The water and anything in it is taken into the mouth. Then it is filtered out by grates around the gills. The water is pushed back out with the various debris found in it. One of the most distinct features of the megamouth shark it's head, it is many times larger than other species. It also has lips that are different from other sharks. They are believed to be from 13 to 16 feet in length. They are also believed to get up to 3,000 pounds.

Great White Sharks are the largest predatory fish in the sea. They have a lifespan of about 25 years. The Great White is between 12-16 feet long, and can grow up to 19-21 feet. They have about 3000 teeth, arranged in several rows.

Sharks are an intriguing species with their extraordinary

senses they fascinate and frighten humans. They have more

to fear from us than we do from them. Their survival is

under serious threat from fishing and other human activities.

The more we get to know about sharks only then will we

be able to appreciate their importance as a living thing.

(cc) image by nuonsolarteam on Flickr