Sharks, the Ocean's Most Misunderstood Fish
Sharks are not the monsters they've been made out to be... They need your help!
Endangered
Like many shark species, the great white shark is endangered, and is in much more danger from humans than humans are from sharks. Millions of sharks are killed every year for their fins alone, which are used to make shark fin soup.
More Underwater Fun
Plankton feeder
The basking shark is the second-largest of all shark species, but it feeds on plankton, so it's harmless to humans (and curious around divers and snorkelers).
More Fish Stuff
Schooling Hammerheads
Although many sharks are solitary creatures, hammerhead sharks like this scalloped hammerhead are often found in large schools of several hundred sharks.
Old Sharks
Sharks have lived on Earth for 400 million years, which means they've shared the planet with both dinosaurs and human beings. But in recent years, overfishing has pushed some shark species to the brink of extinction.
Shark Mistakes
Sharks are not "man eaters." When sharks attack humans, it's usually because they think we're something else. "Sharkwater" filmmaker Rob Stewart calls these "shark mistakes" instead of "shark attacks."
Largest Fish
The whale shark is the largest fish in the ocean, growing up to 40 feet long, with a mouth up to five feet wide! Like some other large sharks and many whales, whale sharks feed on plankton and other tiny marine life.
Camouflage
Sharks come in many different sizes, shapes and colors. This leopard shark has leopard-like markings that provide camouflage against the sea floor, which is where it spends most of its time.
Beware Coconut Attacks
When a shark attacks a human, it makes headlines. But you are more likely to die from a lightning strike, bee sting, falling soda machine or falling coconut than you are from a shark attack. On average, sharks kill fewer than 10 humans per year, while humans kill 100 million sharks.
Misunderstood
Contrary to the popular myth of sharks as simple "eating machines," many species have complex problem-solving abilities and social behaviors. There is still a lot that scientists don't know about sharks.
Elasmobranchs
Sharks are part of the subclass of animals known as "elasmobranchs," which includes sharks, rays and skates. Elasmobranchs are fish that are cartilaginous, which means their skeletons are made of cartilage instead of bone.
Sawfish
The sawfish is part of the large and very diverse shark family. It has a very distinct snout, called a "rostrum," which is covered with motion- and electro-sensitive pores and is used to dig for prey in the ocean floor.
Primitive Sharks
Primitive species like this frilled shark, which lives at depths of up to 4,000 feet, were thought to be extinct until the first specimens turned up in the 19th century. This live frilled shark was found in Japan last January.
