A kaleidoscope of cool

Discover the spectacular spectrum of sharks! There are over 500 species, from angel to
zebra. Some are speedy, some are slow. Many feast on fish, while others prefer to slurp
worms or filter plankton. Their ancestors swam the seas before dinosaurs roamed the
land. Today, many populations are threatened — and face an uncertain future.

All about sharks

What makes a shark a shark? Some sharks are large, others are itty bitty. Some are well-
known, while many others remain less familiar. Though in popular culture sharks are
large, toothy creatures to be feared, this is not always the case. In fact, many sharks
around the world need protection so they can help maintain a healthy ocean for
generations to come.

All sharks share these important characteristics:

1. Soft skeletons
No bones? No problem! Instead of the hard bones that make up the human
skeleton, sharks have softer skeletons made of cartilage — similar to what we
have in our noses and ears.
2. Five to seven gill-slits
Sharks have five to seven gill-slits on each side of their body. Gills are a shark’s
respiratory organ – gases are exchanged with the water that flows over them. In its
simplest form, oxygen is absorbed and carbon dioxide is released.
3. Fins for swimming, steering and balance
Sharks swim using their caudal fin — which is sometimes called the tail fin.
Sharks generate swimming power by moving their caudal fin from side to side.
Pectoral fins, found on a shark's side behind the gills, are used for lift and steering.
The dorsal fin is used for balance: it keeps the shark upright and stabilized,
preventing it from rolling or spinning.
4. Teeth that regrow
A shark's teeth fall out throughout its life and are continually replaced — this is
called “revolver dentition.”

Leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata)

 Swell shark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum)
Scientific names

Sharks are part of the class Chondrichthyes, which includes all cartilaginous fishes such
as skates, chimaeras and rays. If you’ve ever heard sharks referred to as elasmobranchs,
it’s a reference to their subclass — Elasmobranchii.

Are sharks fish? Or are they mammals?

Sharks are not mammals, they are a fish. Specifically, they are elasmobranchs — which
means they’re a cartilaginous fish along with skates, rays and chimaeras.
Habitat
Sharks live all over the world, from the depths of the deep sea to shallow waters, in
freshwater and saltwater. Freshwater sharks aren’t common though — three species of
elusive and mysterious river sharks (genus Glyphis) are found in Southeast Asia,
Australia and Papua New Guinea. The vast majority of sharks will live their lives
entirely in salt water. The bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas), although generally known as
a marine species, will enter brackish water (water that contains more salt than freshwater
but much less than seawater). It is the only known marine species that can tolerate
prolonged exposure to freshwater. It can even travel up and down rivers at will. Bull
sharks often give birth to their young in estuaries, using the estuary as a nursery that
provides more protection than the open ocean.
Size
Sharks come in all sizes. The smallest shark in the world is the dwarf lantern shark
(Etmopterus perryi), which could fit in the palm of your hand. The largest, the whale
shark, grows to 46 feet (14 m).

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