The Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish on Earth, possibly reaching 60 feet in length, or about as long as two school buses! This whale shark has a.The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a. The Wonders of the Seas: Sharks. The shark is a fascinating creature, surrounded by myth and misconception. To many, sharks symbolize the very essence of ruthlessness, representing the ultimate savages of the natural world. Though many people would rather not intentionally socialize with these fearsome predators of the depths, I find it thoroughly captivating to swim among sharks. Sharks and their direct predecessors have been swimming in the world's oceans for well over 3. The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish in the world; with its vast size it resembles the whales from which its common name is derived. Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species website, we are grateful for your input. Great whites became the ocean’s top hunters through the evolution of supremely-adapted senses and physiology. SMELL Great white sharks' most acute sense is smell. Earth. The fact that sharks have survived for so long without changing very much is a real tribute to the effectiveness of their anatomy. Sharks are fishes, contained within the taxonomic class called Chondrichthyes (meaning . Sharks and other cartilaginous fishes (rays, skates, and ratfishes) differ from the bony fishes in that they have a cartilaginous skeleton, and lack a swim bladder. This class of fishes contains over 6. Sometimes sharks are referred to as primitive creatures. They are an ancient group of animals, so it might seem correct to assume that they are primitive. Unfortunately, this assumption is wrong. Recent studies have shown that sharks are, in fact, quite sophisticated. Most sharks have an incredible sense of smell. These sharks can detect one drop of blood dissolved in as much as one million gallons of water. Many sharks can detect the extremely minute electrical currents generated by the muscles of swimming fish. Some sharks can sense at a great distance the tiny pressure variations generated by an injured fish struggling to swim. Contrary to popular opinion, most sharks have excellent low light vision, thanks to a mirror located behind the retina. This mirror reflects light through the retina a second time. A shark may have many rows of teeth. When an old tooth breaks or becomes too dull, a new one rotates into place. Are these the attributes of a primitive animal? Sharks come in many shapes and sizes. The largest fish in the ocean is, in fact, the tremendous whale shark, reaching about 6. The smallest known shark is only a few inches long when fully grown. While many sharks do have conspicuous teeth, many of these animals eat only small invertebrates. Other sharks have no teeth at all, feeding by straining plankton from the water much like the balleen whales do. The myth that sharks are maneaters has been established throughout history with startling regularity. The fact is, you are much more likely to be hit by a car, bitten by a dog, or even struck by lightning than you are to be attacked by a shark, except under the most unusual of circumstances. Certainly sharks can eat people, but the simple fact is that they rarely do. They are no more dangerous to people than any other large predator, like a tiger or a lion. Why do we label the shark a killer, while we call the lion magnificent? Sharks are very important in the ocean ecosystem. Like most top predators, sharks feed on the sick and weak, thereby keeping the schools of fish on which they feed healthy. Lions and tigers serve the same role in their respective ecosystems, removing the weaker animals from the herds, and keeping the gene pool strong. Although it has long been said . Believe it or not, we need sharks in the oceans. Shark populations are dwindling due to heavy commercial fishing and the general attitude that they are nothing more than a nuisance. This shortsighted view of the ocean ecosystem is dangerous- -a shortage of sharks could be disastrous to the health of ocean food chains, including but certainly not limited to the ones we rely upon for food resources. We humans are already placing enough strain on these food chains as it is, without adding the shark to the equation. We must respect these animals and give them the space they need to live. Sharks really are beautiful animals.. For more about sharks, check out SHARK ACADEMY, our series of short, exciting, funny Shark videos!
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