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Shark by Chase Baker/

15 Fascinating Facts about Sharks

One interesting fact about Sharks is that they have outlived dinosaurs and they continue to evolve, they are more than a thousand species in the world. The Greenland shark is the longest-living vertebrate in the world, sharks fall into a subclass of fish called Elasmobranchii. Species in this subclass have skeletons made from cartilage, not bone, and have five to seven-gill slits on each side of their heads. Bull sharks are aggressive and common and usually live near high-populated areas like tropical shorelines. Most sharks cannot be found in freshwater and even venture far inland via rivers and tributaries, bull sharks are considered to be the most dangerous sharks. Sharks cannot endure staying in freshwater, reason been freshwater dehydrates them, dulls their senses, compromises their reproduction, and also makes them sink. Sharks are probably not very selective feeders; certain sharks eat some foods more than others. Hammerhead sharks are known for eating stingrays while bull sharks eat other sharks, smooth dogfish, crabs, and lobsters. Tiger sharks are called the garbage cans of the sea because they eat anything and also decomposed cadavers. Sharks prey most often on the weak, inferior members of the population. They select the weak, ill, injured, or dying prey because it is easier to catch. Human beings have become a threat to the shark species, and the decline of their population is because of shark hunting and at times used as food delicacies, especially in China.

Here are interesting facts about sharks

1. Amazingly the strong predators’ Sharks are afraid of dolphins

Dolphin by TJ Fitzsimmons/

The sweetest and most lovable sea creature is the most feared sea creature in the sea by the shark, the dolphin. Sharks are known to be the most dangerous predators of the ocean, but interestingly sharks fear dolphins. Sharks can be easily manipulated by dolphins in a one-on-one fight, mainly because of the characteristics surrounding their physical build. Dolphins are known to travel in packs known as pods and using their strength, they can beat even the biggest of great white sharks lurking in the deep. Dolphins have soft skin and a flexible skeletal structure which allows them to be efficient in a fight. These adorable sea creatures are clever mammals and are very protective that live in pods. They get aggressive when attacked by an aggressive shark, they immediately attack it with the whole pod. Dolphins travel in groups called pods, the horizontal plane of dolphin tails allows for great sharpness and directional change for quick attacks. Though sharks kill dolphins for food, dolphins simply hunt and kill sharks to keep apex predators like the great white shark from attacking them as prey.

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2. The fascinating Sharks have an extra sixth sense to catch their prey

Shark by Gerald Schombs/

Sharks have the same five senses as humans do, but they have an extra sixth sense that makes them the most deadly, hunters. The evolution of sharks has made them have a variety of capabilities, sharks have a three-sixty-degree vision to see around and figure out their prey. Sharks are amongst the most streamlined and efficient hunters in the waters and they have made all their senses into lethal weapons,  sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Except they have a sixth sense, called the Ampullae of Lorenzini which was first described in 1678 by researcher Stephan Lorenzini. The Ampullae Lorenzini are pores easily seen on the heads of the shark as dark spots that run underneath the skin. Sharks have a network of special cells that can recognize electricity, called electroreceptors, in their heads. They use them together with the olfactory for hunting and navigation. This special sense is so developed that sharks can find fish hiding under sand by honing in on the weak electrical signals emitted by their muscle’s contractions. Sharks have external nostrils called nares the nose is said to be very sensitive they can sense a drop of blood from a distance, they use their nose to locate potential prey items as well as potential mates.

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3. Astonishingly Shark has the thickest skin of all animals

Shark by Owen Harding/

Focus on your work. Be the best you that you can be. Develop a thick skin and let things roll off your back. And keep a sense of humor by Megan Alexander. We are always told to have thick skin when facing the challenges in life well sharks are known to have the thickest skin literally. Mammals have skin that stretches as they grow while fish scales grow larger as the fish grows. Denticles always remain the same size,  as the shark grows, the denticles multiply to cover the animal’s entire body. The shark’s skin texture is rough, which helps to protect the creature from injury.  The function of the shark’s skin: it helps it swim faster, making the creature move through the water is an imperative ability, it also generates the necessary body heat to keep the shark alive. The whale shark has the thickest skin around 10cm thick, the female shark has thicker skin than the male which helps to protect them during mating as the male bites the female and hangs on. The female, therefore, has to have thick skin to prevent serious injuries during mating season.  

4.  The exquisite sea creature the Shark are Cartilaginous

Interestingly sharks do not have bones their skeleton structure is made of cartilage just like the human ear. Cartilaginous fishes are also referred to as Chondrichthyes, all sharks, skates, and rays are cartilaginous fish. Members of the Chondrichthyes all lack true bone and have a skeleton made of cartilage. Sharks have a different kind of skeleton unlike other sea creatures, their gills are open to the ocean through slits unlike a bony fish different shark species have a different number of gill slits. Many chondrichthyans fish, have evolved into sophisticated adaptations that have made them successful predators over a wide range of habitats. The class can be divided into two subclasses Elasmobranchii sharks and Holocephali chimeras. Their skeleton helps them to be flexible, light, and efficient when it comes to hunting, it also helps in buoyancy. The skeleton structure of the shark helps it to maintain internal temperature keeping the fish warm. Chondrichthyan males have pelvic clasper, a specialized organ used in mating. The physiology of Chondrichthyan is of interest to cancer researchers because the cartilage of chondrichthyans contains substances known to inhibit the growth of tumors, and cancer is extremely rare in sharks.

5. Remarkably the Female sharks can be impregnated by multiple partners at once

Multiple paternity appears to be very common among sharks and has been documented in at least six species so far. The different shark species each have a unique style of mating habits. Some species of sharks lay eggs, while some give live birth. All sharks tend to practice biting as a way to get the attention of the female. Female sharks tend to have bite marks across their bodies after mating, though these bites are not as ferocious as feeding bites as they have the thickest skin than the male shark. Multiple paternity is common in the species where the females store sperms after mating for later use, during the breeding time this increases the number of available mates. Through a natural form of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis, some animals can produce offspring all by themselves. Interestingly a female shark can reproduce with ought a male sperm, the female shark develops one egg along with three other objects called polar bodies that help fertilization. A polar body contains the same amount of genetic material as the sperm and can merge with the egg to produce offspring, while the rest of the polar bodies are simply reabsorbed by the female.

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6. Unbelievably Sharks have beautiful blue eyes 

Shark by David Clode/

The eyes of sharks are well-developed and function over a wide range of light levels, sharks can only see up to 50 feet. Sharks have successfully ruled the oceanic world for millions of years because they have well-developed sensory systems, especially their sparkling eyes. Looking into the eyes of sharks is a splendid experience because sharks have beautiful eyes. Sharks have blue beautiful eyes; sharks’ eyes are covered with a layer called tapetum lucidum which reflects the light through the retina and gives a black shade in the dark to the iris of the shark eyes. Sharks protect their eyes when fighting with a predator by rolling their eyes back, the famous water predator can see well in the dark because of a layer of mirrored crystals behind their retina called tapetum lucidum. The layer reflects light giving them a second chance to see the image as it goes through the retina again. Sharks can see in both stereoscopic and monocular vision.  Stereoscopic is a three-dimensional visualization which is how humans see.  Images from both eyes are combined which gives our vision shape, depth, and distance.  Monocular vision uses images from only one eye. Human eyes come with red, green, and blue cone variations, allowing us to see in color, unlike sharks they cannot see color but can smell blood from a mile away.

7.  Interestingly Sharks are known to be the Apex Predators in the sea

Shark by Wai Siew/

An apex predator is defined as a predator residing at the top of the food web in its ecosystem. As apex predators, sharks feed on animals below them in the food chain, regulating and maintaining the balance of marine ecosystems. The great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias, is considered the most voracious apex predator in temperate marine ecosystems worldwide, playing a key role in controlling ecosystem dynamics. Some sharks can sustain themselves on a diet of mollusks, squid, and crustaceans, but the more ferocious Sharks prefer big, chunky fish like Tuna and Mackerel. The large predator sharks have developed a taste for sea mammals and other Sharks. Some of the popular food choices include dolphins, seals, sea lions, porpoises, and birds. The most astonishing thing is that sharks do not eat human beings we are not part of their food chain they only attack because they see us as threats.

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8. Astonishingly Sharks can go into a trance to relax 

Well did you think it’s only human beings who can go into a trance well think again sharks also go into a trance. This Tonic immobility is a reflex that causes an animal to be inactive for a short period. It is similar to hypnosis, it is found in various animals, including many sharks and rays. Sharks are frightening creatures around in many ways. These superorder Selachimorpha fish can get their muscles immobilized, and their breathing slowed and steady temporarily. Sharks go into trance when they are upside down loosening their muscle and respiratory processes. When they’re upside down, their dorsal fins become straighter and more streamlined. It’s unknown why sharks go into a trance but most researchers say it’s for mating reasons. The shark stays paralyzed for fifteen minutes before regaining consciousness. Scientists have used this phenomenon to examine shark behavior by putting the creature in a trance. Sharks use this strategy to survive in the ocean where they are many other predators.

9. Fascinatingly Shark embryos attack each other in their mother’s womb

Embryo cannibalism is unheard of but does not be shocked it happens in sharks. Shark embryos cannibalize their littermates in the womb, with the largest embryo eating all but one of its siblings. When a female gets pregnant, it’s usually with multiple offspring of several different male sharks. As soon as the fetuses are old enough, they begin a cannibalistic battle for primacy in utero, with only one surviving. Female sand tiger sharks have two uteri and carry hundreds of eggs. During their fertile periods, they can mate with many male sand tiger sharks. But each time they give birth after a 12-month pregnancy, they produce just two offspring one from each uterus. This kind of cannibalism helps the baby shark to survive and to grow big to be able to fight its predator when born. Many animals are known to kill and eat members of their species it’s known as Filial cannibalism seen in some mammal species.

10.  Amazingly the fastest apex predator in the sea is the  Shark

Shortfin Mako shark by Mark Conlin/

Can you race a shark and then think twice, sharks are the fastest apex predators in the sea. Sharks are built for bursts of speed as they attack their prey, much like lions and tigers on land. They need to be able to swim fast enough to pursue their prey for short distances, then make the lunge for the kill. The speed of a shark also depends on the species. Smaller, streamlined species are capable of higher speeds than larger, bulkier sharks. The Mako Shark is the fastest in the world, it can clock in at speeds of 60 mph. The Mako Shark has an extremely streamlined body that is shaped like a torpedo that helps minimize drag as it cruises through the water. The body of a shark is anatomically designed for speed in the water. Speed is crucial for a shark’s survival because it must catch its prey before it can escape. Sharks can smooth out their forward thrust and make their swimming a hundred percent more efficient than other fish by stiffening their back tails in midswing, which ultimately helps them create twice as many water jets as fish with symmetrical tails.

11. Unbelievably Sharks grow up to 50,000 teeth in a lifetime

Shark by Laura College/

Sharks are constantly producing teeth to replace the ones they lose. White sharks have approximately fifty teeth at any one time, like most sharks, they have multiple rows of teeth in development that are ready to take the place of teeth that fall out. Some sharks have over three hundred teeth in various stages of development within their mouths at any one time. Some sharks can have up to 50,000 teeth throughout their entire lives. Sharks are different, not all sharks have enormous pointy teeth. The large sharks that hunt for fish and sea lions have large, scary teeth, while the smaller sharks have a filtering system. They still have smaller rows of teeth but they are usually not used for chewing. Their mouths are a lot like a whale’s mouth. They use their teeth to filter through things rather than chew. Sharks have teeth in layered rows both their upper and lower jaws can have 5 to 15 rows. Sharks and rays are elasmobranches, and their skeletons are designed in such a way that they have so many teeth. Since their teeth are not anchored into bones, they are prone to easily falling out, which requires additional teeth.

12. Fascinatingly each whale shark spot pattern is unique as a fingerprint

Whale Shark by Sebastian Pena/

The whale shark is the largest shark species alive today, reaching lengths of 18m. Yet, it is not just their size that makes whale sharks so recognizable, they have remarkable patterns of spots and stripes, which are as unique to each shark as a fingerprint is to a human. The whale shark spots not only make the creature beautiful but help scientists to identify the sharks. Whale sharks can grow to 65 feet in length and up to about seventy-five thousand pounds in weight. Females are generally larger than males. The whale shark evolved from bottom-dwelling carpet sharks that have noticeable body markings, so perhaps the shark’s markings are simply evolutionary leftovers. The whale shark is a widespread animal that occurs in warmer temperate and tropical waters. It’s among the most endangered species, especially among the Chinese community their fines are used for delicious cuisines and traditional herbs. They may use the coloration as camouflage, as the spots mimic how light dapples through the plankton-rich waters they usually inhabit. Their biggest form of defense is their size, which when fully grown leaves them with no natural predators.

13. Interestingly Humans are not part of the food diet of sharks

Many people are afraid of sharks and some cannot swim in waters infested with sharks, but guess what sharks just bite seriously but do not eat humans. Sharks evolved millions of years before humans existed and therefore humans are not part of their normal diets. Sharks are opportunistic feeders, but most sharks primarily feed on smaller fish and invertebrates. Some of the larger shark species prey on seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals. Sharks have been known to attack humans when they are confused or curious. Sharks are intelligent and curious creatures when they see a human splashing in the water, they may try to investigate, leading to an attack. Still, sharks have more to fear from humans, we hunt sharks for their meat, internal organs, skin, and fins to make products such as shark fin soup, lubricants, and leather. A shark will approach cautiously, rather than the way they attack prey they are familiar with. They may be inclined to approach more aggressively if you seem like you’re trying to flee from them. Note the bite of a shark can be lethal and leave you with ought a leg or a hand so be careful when swimming in the sea.

14.  Remarkably Thresher sharks use their tails like bullwhips to kill or stun prey

Pelagic thresher sharks, charcoal-eyed predators that patrol the world’s oceans, use their massive, scythe-like tails to slap schools of sardines. Marine biologists had long suspected that threshers used their tails to help capture their prey. Half of their body length is made up of a scythe-like tail. Pelagic threshers grow to nearly four meters long, around two meters of which is the tail. Other adult threshers reach six meters long. Thresher sharks have prominent tails that scientists believe are used in hunting, the sharks’ tail slaps are so powerful they can release dissolved gasses out of the water into bubbles. The thresher is a strong swimmer and can leap clear of the water, the thresher ranges through all warm and temperate areas of the world’s oceans. This shark is ovoviviparous, with the eggs being hatched inside the female, and 2 to 6 live pups being delivered at a size of 1.5 meters long.

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15. Amazingly Sharks hunt alone not in a pack 

Hammerhead shark by Jonas Allert/

Sharks are among the Earth’s oldest creatures, dating back three hundred million years before the dinosaurs. They are also one of the world’s most feared predators. The methods sharks use to find and hunt their prey vary as much as the number of shark species inhabiting our oceans. They typically live and track by themselves, joining up with other sharks only in certain circumstances, such as mating. Some sharks will form schools on occasion however researchers aren’t sure why this occurs because sharks don’t need protection from predators and they don’t feed in schools. When they hunt, most sharks rely on the element of surprise in some way. In some camouflaged bottom-dwelling sharks, such as the wobbegong species, most sharks hunt at night.