The shark is a carnivorous fish that belongs to the Animalia family, phylum Chordata, and class Chondrichthyes. The shark can grow up to 5.8 to 7 feet, and weigh up to 1,500 to 4,000 pounds, with a lifespan of up to 20 to 30 years.

Sharks are saltwater creatures that feed on sealions, seals, humans, small fishes, and invertebrates. Sharks are preyed upon by killer whales, sperm whales and humans.

Physical characteristics include grey, yellow, black, green, and white colours, with rough skin. Sharks are distinguished by their cartilaginous skeleton. Sharks belong to the elasmobranch fish family.

Their gills are accessed by five to seven openings on the side of their heads. Their skulls and pectoral fins are not fused together.

According to experts, there are around 500 species of sharks divided into 14 to 30 shark families.

Salmon, tiger, great white, whale, and bull sharks are some of the most prevalent species.

Shark facts you should know

1. Sharks are boneless fish that have no bones at all. Instead, their bodies are mostly formed of cartilage, which is the same substance that makes up the human nose and ears.

2. They have strong vision, which means they can see clearly in low-light situations.

3. The skin of these fish has a sandpaper texture. This is due to the fact that their skin contains microscopic teeth-like features.

4. Trance of immobility: When these fish are turned over down, they become immovable.

5. Sharks are old fish, with experts estimating that they have been present for more than 450 million years.

6. Land sharks: The epaulette shark, for example, has gained the capacity to walk on land for short distances.

7. Sharks are supposed to have a sixth sense for a long time.

Shark: The ultimate guide

Selachimorpha is the scientific name for this fish. The kingdom Animalia and the phylum Chordata are home to these fish. Chondrichthyes is the topic of their class. Selachimorpha is derived from the Ancient Greek terms sélakhos and the suffix morpha. Sélakhos is a Greek word that means “cartilaginous fish.”

The term may be further split down to the root “sélas,” which means “light” or “glow.” The phosphorescent glow that most of these sharks have contributed to their pre-Greek roots Squatiniformes, pristiophoriformes, squaliformes, carcharhiniformes, lamniformes, orectolobiformes, heterodontiformes, and hexanchiformes are among the eight orders that still exist beneath the Selachimorpha superorder.

Despite the fact that four orders among those fish have gone extinct, there are very few over 470 species surviving today.

Selachimorpha is the scientific name for this superorder of sharks, which includes approximately 500 live species. Despite the fact that four separate orders of fish have become extinct, the remaining fish still have a wide range of variants.

While some of these species lack an anal fin, others do. The length of their noses and the location of their mouth may all be used to distinguish them from other species. The following are some of the most well-known shark species:

Type of Shark Species

• The Great White Shark is the biggest species in the water and may reach lengths of up to 20 feet. It is perhaps the most popular and well-known. Furthermore, these fish may live in the ocean for up to 30 years, swimming around the shore.

• The cookiecutter shark gets its name from the cookie-shaped bite holes it makes in its prey. These sharks have the biggest teeth of any shark species in the world, regardless of location. It sheds teeth and develops new ones during its life, just like other sharks.

• The ragged tooth shark stands out for a unique reason: it gulps air. This species, like a mammal, will hang on to the air in its stomach in order to maintain its position. Though they lose up to three teeth every day, their dagger-like teeth are lined up in two rows on both their top and bottom jaws. They are rather harmless if left alone, despite their fierce look.

• The bull shark prefers watery environments and will seek out shallow locations. They have unique glands that provide them with the salt their bodies require, allowing them to travel to food sources.

• Tiger sharks may grow to be as big as 18 feet long, and their vertical stripes and spots make them easy to see. They can dwell in both shallow and deep environments, and their jaws are strong enough to shatter a sea turtle’s shell.

• Salmon sharks are a kind of shark that may be extremely harmful to humans. They dwell in the northern Pacific Ocean, where they grow to be around 6.5 feet long (at their shortest). They have the ability to adjust their own stomach temperature, which is unusual for sharks in general.

• Unless they are disturbed, nurse sharks pose little threat to people. Many individuals swim straight by these sharks without even realising they’re there.

• The horn shark moves by using its powerful fins to push itself down the seabed. This shark is extremely light-sensitive. It spends nearly all of its time buried in cracks, shadows, or deep water.

• The Goblin Shark is a deep-sea shark which is generally alluded to as a living fossil. The big snout, prominent jaws, and semitranslucent skin of this shark make it clearly identifiable. Goblin Sharks have been discovered in all three seas. There are still a lot of unanswered questions about this monster because it lives so deep under the sea.

• The Greenland Shark is the longest-living vertebrate on the planet. The Greenland shark, also known as eqalussuaq by the Inuit, is known for surviving to a ripe old age. According to biologists, this enormous, sluggish fish may survive for half a millennium. Its longevity is most likely due to the fact that it takes its time with everything. It moves slowly in the water. It takes a long time to reproduce. It attacks victims by creeping up on them while they are sleeping.

• Grey reef sharks are ferocious marine predators which love shallow seas and are seen in coral reef ecosystems all across the Indo-Pacific area.

• Basking sharks are known for swimming with their mouths wide open, which may be terrifying to inexperienced divers.

• The long, rectangular heads of hammerhead sharks are well-known. To reduce drag and improve swimming efficiency, they prefer to swim at an angle.

• Frilled Sharks get their name from the six rows of ruffled, collar-like gills on their throat.

Evolution of Shark

Sharks, like their sister species of rays, have evolved to live in a variety of environments over millions of years. Others dwell in deep seas, whereas others live in shallow and coastal areas.

Others can be found on the ocean floor or in the open ocean. Despite the fact that these enormous fish may be found all over the world, they are most usually seen in the United States and Australia.

Merely a few shark species exist in freshwater, such as the bull shark and the river shark, although the majority of them are located in the waterways of New South Wales, Australia. They’ve been spotted in the Indian Ocean, near Brazil, and even as close to home as North Carolina.

Experts estimate that there are around 400 live shark species across the world, that are grouped into 14 to 30 distinct shark families. Most people assume that because these fish are so large, they have no natural predators.

However, this is untrue. Killer whales and sperm whales both eat smaller shark species for food, but they also eat other aquatic creatures. Therefore, larger sharks will swallow other species, so sharks have no qualms about eating their cousins.

They’re all carnivores, which means they solely devour other animals for food. The majority of sharks eat a varied diet that includes dolphins, seals, turtles, and even seagulls. They also look for other fish and sea animals.

As previously indicated, these fish face the prospect of being eaten by other sharks. Aside through their own species, the amount of fat and protein they provide makes them excellent for an orca or sperm whale’s diet.

In truth, orcas, commonly known as killer whales, are apex predators incapable of being hunted by even the largest sharks.

Shark Appearance

These fish have curved edges and a cylindrical form. This body form enables them to glide over deep seas in quest of prey with ease. However, the length of their bodies and even their snouts may vary considerably between species.

Sharks are normally 5.8 to 7 metres long, which is more than three times the average human height. The tiniest species is less than 20 centimetres long, while the biggest is around 12 metres long.

Sharks are typically between 1500 and 4000 pounds in weight. Some, though, can weigh up to 5500 pounds. Because sharks are a species which never really stops growing, the larger sharks are usually quite ancient.

These fish are naturally coloured to help them blend in with their surroundings and catch their prey faster. Their body is darker on the dorsal side than on the ventral side. As a result, when viewed from above, the shark’s body normally blends in with the ocean’s black atmosphere.

Reproduction and Lifespan of Shark

These fish don’t really breed in the same way that other fish do. They make kids by internal reproduction, just as mammals do. For the function of reproduction, males have two organs linked to their anal fins. When males mate, one of them is inserted into the female’s cloaca.

During the insertion, sperm from the male is delivered to the female. After that, the sperm fertilises the egg within the female. This fish is known for its extended pregnancy, which usually lasts an average of a year, although the precise period varies by species.

However, certain sharks can have a 5-month gestation time, while others might have a three-year gestation period. Sharks have a lifetime of 20 to 30 years.

Shark Fishing and Cooking

For business reasons, the majority of these fish are caught. They are extensively prepared, particularly in the United States. They are a valuable meat supply for humans due to their body weight.

People like shark steaks, which are marinated in a variety of seasonings and then grilled in oil before being devoured by a group of humans.