The Predator of the Ocean
When did sharks first begin? This is a question many might ask. No one knows the exact date or time that they came to earth, but there is an estimate of a little over 400 million years. Most people think that dinosaurs came first, but this is not true. Sharks came 200 million years before dinosaurs. There were little organisms that were very first, like bacteria, but one of the first creatures was the shark. The shark is known to many as a man eating machine and most people are deathly afraid of being in the ocean because they think they will die. Even though sharks live in water we know a lot about how they survive, how many different kinds there are, and how dangerous they are to humans.
There are many ways that
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This allows the shark to locate injured prey from quite a distance.” (Group, 2007) .This is very useful for the sharks. If they are on the hunt and smell blood they will easily be able to find food. When fish swim they create an electric wave through the water. Sharks can detect these electric currents a little over three feet. Most fish have this sense, but sharks are most sensitive to it. They have pores all over their bodies which are connected and this makes it all work. This is a good advantage for sharks because they can be still and wait for an attack. They also are able to detect if there is a bigger predator by, so if they do they can leave the area quickly and survive. This also allows sharks to be able to get food when they are in complete darkness, like at the bottom of the ocean or at night time. Another great thing that sharks use is their amazing eye sight. Their eyes reflect light twice which allows them to see very good at night time. Sharks protect their eyes as best as they can. Their eyes are very important. They have a membrane that covers their eyes while they are in a dangerous situation like a fight. “Also unlike humans, shark eyelids serve to protect the eye when attacking prey. Some sharks have a nictating …show more content…
Most people just know of a few sharks like the great white or the tiger shark or the hammerhead, but there are many more. There are more than 400 different kinds of sharks. There are some that are smaller than a ruler. One of the smallest sharks known is the Pygmy ribbon tail cat shark. The biggest ones are around seven inches long! These sharks live in the mucky bottoms by the mud. “Occurs over muddy bottoms, on the upper continental and insular slopes and outer shelves” (Smith, n.d.). They are a very small species and only give birth to 1 or 2 babies. They eat small prey, such as crustaceans and squid. There are also giant sharks. The largest living shark, and fish, is the whale shark. These sharks can get over forty feet in length. You might be scared of the sound of a shark being forty feet long, but you don’t need to worry. These sharks eat plankton. They love the warm waters and usually travel alone. The largest shark that has ever lived is the Megeladon. It is now extinct and everyone is glad. No one knows the exact size of this shark but there is an estimate of over 60 feet. “The teeth of this prehistoric shark were over half a foot long, serrated, and heart-shaped (by comparison, the biggest teeth of a Great White Shark are only about three inches long)” (Strauss). No one knows when this beast went extinct but there have been many fossils and teeth found all over the world of its remains. One of the most
’’They are gray-brown to olive-green on top with off-white undersides,and they have heavily serrated,triangular teeth’’(National Geographic ‘’Hammerhead Sharks’’ 1).These are the usual colors of sharks. When you visualize a shark,the shark you would see would most likely resemble a bull shark. ’’They they almost resemble tiger sharks,and the problem is that tiger sharks are even more dangerous than bull sharks. To be honest,if you have to be extremely afraid of one species of shark,then it would probably be the bull shark. ’’Among the most likely sharks to attack humans,bull sharks favor shallow coastal waters-the same places humans prefer to swim’’(National Geographic ‘’Bull Shark’’ 1).This means that the bull shark would be the most feared by humans because they swim in the same places that humans swim.
The bull shark may be responsible for many shark attacks in the world but I believe that we have no right to kill them. Sharks are very important to animals food cycles and if the food cycles get messed up it can greatly effect the world. In fact, the bull shark is more vulnerable to human impact due to their ability to live in fresh and salt water but many sharks that are killed are for either shark fin soup or their liver oil. The sharks liver oil has many uses now but it started as a machine lubricant. Another way that sharks die is by recreational fishing. The sharks can get caught up in the fishermen's nets and eventually suffocate and die. As an environmental community, I feel like we need to inform people about shark habits and how to keep sharks safe. The water is their home and we are
This image is what a majority of people believe to be the shark. They believe it to be the bloodthirsty sea monster that appears in countless works of literature and films, but science says otherwise. The classic picture painted by the minds of sailors returning from years at sea come from imagination and sharks’ violent methods of hunting and mating. Sharks fear humans as much as humans fear sharks, and most sharks, particularly the “man-eating” great whites, only bite humans because they mistake surfers for seals. In earlier times, the ocean was a source of mystery and adventur...
Sharks have also been subjected to medical research, games and competitions, jewellery, souvenirs and cosmetics. We need to take into consideration that sharks play a vital role in the natural world that we live in. it is imperative that we look after these majestic creatures and ensure they remain protected. We need to be aware of the dangers of sharks, swim in protected areas where there are shark nets, and do not swim after dark in the sea (especially not alone) as the sea is the sharks home. Humans should also be wearing wet suits as protection in the ocean. The sea is where they live, they swim freely and they eat – they do not particularly target humans but rather prey on food that is available to them in their habitat.
Sharks have been around since before humans much less dinosaurs; they have been around for more than 420 million years. Everything about sharks is just fascinating. Sharks feed on squid, fish, plankton, crustaceans and other various marine life. Known as the oceans sea dogs sharks have a skeleton made of cartilage and a body built for flexibility, durability and speed; perfectly designed for hunting. Born to fend on their own right out of their mother’s womb sharks depend a lot on their eighth sense which allows them to sense things around them without having to hear, see, or touch them. Sharks have three more sense organs than we do known as the lateral line, pit organs and ampullae of lorenzini. Most known to be carnivorous, sharks have the ability to sense tiny drops of blood in the water as far as three miles away and depending...
Sharks kill an average of about 12 humans per year. Humans kill an average of about 11,417 sharks per hour. Unfortunately, that number may not stop growing unless action is taken. Shark slaughter is becoming an ever expanding issue that could have devastating effects if it is not stopped. As a result of a tremendous increase of demand in shark fins in recent years, sharks are being finned and thrown back into the water where they are left to suffer an excruciating death which can take days to occur. Not only is the act cruel, but it also disrupts the natural ecosystem and may cause irreparable damage. Due to all of these effects, shark slaughter needs to be stopped, sooner than later.
When most people hear the word "shark", the image of a vicious killing machine pops into their head. They picture something out of the movie Jaws, where a massive Great White shark terrorizes an entire beach and eats dozens of people. However, this fictional story is nothing more than Hollywood entertainment. In the real world, the tables are turned. Humans are the ones who kill sharks, and not just by the dozens. It has been estimated that over 100 million sharks are killed every year by humans (http://www.iflscience.com). Some estimates claim that the actual number of sharks killed every year could be as high as 273 million (http://www.iflscience.com). In this research paper, I will inform you of the many ways that sharks are being killed,
Beginning with the simplest one-celled organism, an extraordinary animal rose in the murky waters entitled to a non-comparable killing-eating machine. This organism has become nature’s most genuine and most successful creature that it has remained unchanged for over 250 million years. Nature finally invented the perfect king of the sea. This animal has given the sea it’s “living” adjective; in turn, it was entitled—the “great white shark.”
In 2015 only 59 shark attacks have occurred around the world compared to the millions of sharks killed by humans every year. Due to these accidental shark attacks people tend to think that sharks, especially Great Whites are evil creatures with malice intentions when attacks do occur; but, on the contrary that is wrong. Sharks are not the only beautiful and unique creatures in the ocean, they also play a vital role in our ecosystem; however, due to human interference they might not be around much longer, through awareness sharks can be protected from endangerment.
Great White Sharks can be found virtually anywhere in the world but they tend to prefer temperate waters off the coasts of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the California and the eastern U.S., and Mexico. In its natural environment, this shark has only one enemy, the Orca whale. However, the shark's most threatening predator is humans. Great White Sharks have a monstrous reputation with society due to the sensationalized media that accompanies them. Sharks are killed for numerous reasons through commercial fishing, sport fishing, or for body parts such as fins. An estimated seventy million sharks are killed annually due to trade and many more sharks are also killed accidentally in fishermen's nets (Shark Conservation Through Legislation, 2001, http). Trade for fins, teeth, and jaws also result in thousand...
Sharks appear to be very vicious creatures that will eat or kill anything in its path. People think that all sharks are harmful and deadly to humans. However, research shows that this statement is not true. Sharks can be trained and tamed. They are just like big, aquatic dogs. Only about 2 dozen types of sharks are potentially harmful to humans. Shark attacks are also much more uncommon than one may think. Despite their fearsome appearances, sharks are not as vicious as they look.
Arising over 350 million years ago, the shark species has been labeled as a human devourer. Now, with the increase in human population, the demand for shark meat, fins, and cartilage are at an all time high; therefore, the existence of the shark is becoming a concern (Budker 1971). Individuals are conditioned to think of sharks as a negative aspect to the environment, which is prolonging the effort to save shark species from becoming extinct. With that in mind, some private as well as national organizations have accepted the challenge of educating and informing people about the existence of the shark specie and its importance to the sea.
Hundreds of people, who get in the ocean every year, are almost none that encounter sharks. Even if you're lucky enough to see a shark big enough to bite you, you're much likely to die from a heart attack than getting bit by one. Shark attacks are mistakes and the idea of a shark off every beach waiting for people to come in the water is completely untrue. I will inform you on the background knowledge of sharks and the reasons why humans should not be afraid only aware.
The morphology of whale sharks is mostly similar to aquatic fish species, but many specific traits help differentiate them from the rest. Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world and can reach a size of around 20 meters (Martins, C., and C. Knickle). This is often compared to the size of a school bus. The shark has a very large transverse mouth. They have 5 very large gill slits and have a larger first dorsal fin compared to the second one (Whale Shark). They have a distinctive spotted “checkerboard” pattern with stripes (Martins, C., and C. Knickle). It is not exactly known why they have this specific body marking. It is believed that the body markings act as a camouflage. The strange thing about whale sharks is that they have 300 rows of teeth that play no role in feeding (Martins, C., and C. Knickle).
One particularly interesting sea creature is the whale shark, formally known as Rhincondon typus it was first discovered in 1828 by Andrew Smith (Rowat 2012). This large fish is found globally in warm tropical oceans and prefers to stay within 200 meters of the ocean’s surface in waters ranging from 4.2 to 28.7 degrees Celsius (Stevens 2006). This creature can be found all across the globe in any warm tropical seas. Aggregations of whale sharks have been seen off the coast of Australia at times, although it is primarily a creature of solitude. Whale sharks are filter feeders that consume plankton as well as small fish and are harmless to humans. The whale shark is a species with a fascinating ecology, life history, behavior, anatomy