Diving into the World of Sharks: A Deeper Look Into the Ocean's Apex P
NEW SPRING-SUMMER 25 COLLECTION >> FREE SHIPPING ORDERS OVER 65 € 🚀
info@fordivers.store
Fordivers
Cart 0
  • Man
    • T-Shirts
    • Sweatshirts
    • Hoodies
  • Woman
    • T-Shirts
    • Sweatshirts
    • Hoodies
  • New Drops
  • TOP SALES
  • Collections
    • Nudibranch
    • T-shirts
    • Ocean Wall Art
    • Sweatshirts
    • Woman
    • Diving
    • Whales
    • Mugs
    • Sharks
    • Maldives
    • Manta Rays
    • Freediving
  • Accessories
    • Wall art
    • Mugs
  • About
My Account
Log in Register
Español
English
Search products
Fordivers
Account Cart 0
  • Man
    • T-Shirts
    • Sweatshirts
    • Hoodies
  • Woman
    • T-Shirts
    • Sweatshirts
    • Hoodies
  • New Drops
  • TOP SALES
  • Collections
    • Nudibranch
    • T-shirts
    • Ocean Wall Art
    • Sweatshirts
    • Woman
    • Diving
    • Whales
    • Mugs
    • Sharks
    • Maldives
    • Manta Rays
    • Freediving
  • Accessories
    • Wall art
    • Mugs
  • About

Search our store

Fordivers
Account Cart 0
Popular Searches:
camiseta tiburón ballena hoodie camisetas mujer
Adéntrate en el mundo de los tiburones: todo acerca del depredador que tenemos que proteger
Fordivers blog

Diving into the World of Sharks: A Deeper Look Into the Ocean's Apex Predator

by Jorge Mezcua on Dec 11, 2022

Sharks are a group of cartilaginous bony fish that have five to seven gill slits on both sides of the head. It is estimated that the order of sharks has existed for over 420 million years and now we know about more than 360 species that have inhabited our oceans for about 100 million years. 

 

Sharks vary greatly in size, from the dwarf lantern shark with just 17 centimeters to the whale shark, the world’s largest fish, which reaches up to 12 meters long. They live in very different habitats, from the surface of the ocean to the depths, being sharks able to live up to 3,700 meters deep. Life expectancy of sharks varies by species, most live 20 to 30 years, being the spiny dogfish and whale shark the sharks that live longer, as they can live up to 100 years. 

 

Sharks are found in all seas and oceans in the planet and usually do not live in freshwater, although there are some exceptions such as the bull shark that sometimes goes into rivers. Sharks play a key role in the ocean, especially large ones such as the great white shark, the tiger shark and the blue shark, at the top of the ocean food chain, because they provide a fundamental balance between the different species of the ocean. 

 

SHARKS MORPHOLOGY

 

Sharks have different skeletons from the bony fish and terrestrial vertebrates. Sharks and other cartilaginous fish like rays have skeletons made of cartilage and connective tissue, which gives them great flexibility and durability. Being about half the normal density of the skeleton bone tissue, the cartilage is lighter and requires less energy to move.

 

Shark Lovers T-Shirts

White Shark T-Shirt

White Shark T-Shirt

24.75€

If Lost Send Back To The Ocean

If Lost Send Back To The Ocean

34.50€

VIEW MORE SHARK T-SHIRTS

Their skin is covered by dermal denticles (like many insects) which protects their skin from wounds and parasites while improving its hydrodynamics.

 

lemon shark
Sharks can change their teeth up to 30,000 times in a lifetime. Lemon sharks, image by WIlly Volk

One of their most striking (and feared) features are their jaws and teeth. The sharks’ teeth are embedded in the gums rather than being attached to the jaw and are replaced all throughout their life. It is estimated that from birth to death, up to 30,000 teeth are replaced. The teeth shape varies with the shark’s diet. It can be wide and flat in those shark species that need crushing shellfish or pointy and sharp in those sharks that feed on larger prey such as marine mammals. They may even be smaller without any specific functionality for those that feed on plankton such as the basking shark. 

 

The shark fins are elongated and elastic allowing them great mobility and speed. Most shark species have 8 fins and differ in shape, size and length. For example the caudal fin, that provide thrust, speed and acceleration, is different in the bull shark (robust and short) than that of the carpet shark, long and slender.

 

Unlike bony fish, sharks do not have gas-filled swim bladders that provide buoyancy. Instead they have a large liver filled with oil which together with the low weight of the skeleton provides great buoyancy. Most sharks need to constantly swim to breathe and are «cold blooded» meaning that their internal body temperature matches that of their environment.

 

port jackson shark
Port Jackson shark teeth are adapted to feed from mollusks. Image by richard ling

SHARKS FEEDING

 

Most sharks are carnivorous predators except the basking shark and the whale shark, that have evolved to feed by filtering plankton.

 

Hunting techniques of sharks differ between species. Some of the sharks are very effective at ambushes like wobbegongs or angel sharks, using their camouflage to stalk prey and suck. Many other sharks feed solely on crustaceans crushing them with their flat teeth, as the Port Jackson shark.

 

In other cases, when the diet is based on fish or squid, sharks attack and capture prey swallowing the whole animal. Large predators such as the great white shark can swallow the whole prey or parts of them tearing his flesh. Others have very refined techniques like the thresher shark, which use its long tail fin to hit fish schools, stun them and catch them more easily.

 

Several shark species such as the white tip reef shark hunt in packs and cooperate among themselves to capture food. These social sharks are often migratory, traveling huge distances around major ocean basins.

 

In general, sharks swim at an average speed of 8 kilometers per hour but when they attack they can reach speeds of 20 kilometers per hour. The shortfin mako shark, the fastest shark and one of the fastest ocean predators, can exceed 50 kilometers per hour. White sharks also reaches high speeds when attacking their prey, being able to jump several meters out of the surface due to the power of these attacks, swimming vertically from the bottom to the surface.

 

White shark hunting captured in slow motion

SENSES

 

Sharks have a powerful sense of smell and are attracted by the chemicals found in the guts of many species. Sharks have the ability to determine the direction of a smell based on detection of the odor in each nostril. This capability is similar to the method mammals use to determine direction of sound.

 

Shark eyes are similar to the eyes of other vertebrates, including pupils and retinas. The sharks can contract and dilate their pupils, like humans, something no teleost fish can do. To protect their eyes some species have developed a membrane that covers the eyes while hunting and when the shark is being attacked. However, other species such as the great white shark do not have this membrane, but can direct their eyes backwards to protect them.

 

bahamas reef shark
Bahamas Reef Shark. Picture by Joi Ito

 

Although it is difficult to assess the hearing of sharks, they may have an acute sense of hearing and can possibly hear prey many miles away.

 

Hoodies Designed for the Deck of Your Liveaboard

Organic Pura Vida Hoodie

Organic Pura Vida Hoodie

€55

Organic Be Kind to the Sea Hoodie

Organic Be Kind to the Sea Hoodie

€65

SEE MORE SWEATSHIRTS FOR DIVERS

 

Sharks have developed, over millions of years of evolution, some electromagnetic receptors called the ampullae of Lorenzini that detect the electromagnetic fields that all living things produce, helping them to detect prey. With these blisters sharks can, for example, find prey hidden in the sand by detecting the electric fields they produce and help orient themselves and travel the oceans guided by Earth’s magnetic field.

SHARKS REPRODUCTION

Shark fertility varies from 2 to over 100 offspring per reproductive cycle. Sharks mature slowly relative to many other fish. For example, lemon sharks reach sexual maturity around 13-15 years. Females in many of the larger species of sharks have bite marks that appear to be the result of one or several males grasping to maintain position during mating and courtship. In some species, females have evolved thicker skin that serves as a defense against those «love bites».

Shark embryo
Shark embryo. Image Sander van der Wel

Sharks have three ways to breed, varying by species. Most sharks are ovoviviparous, the eggs hatch inside the mother’s body and the young are born independent from their mothers. Other sharks are oviparous like most other fish, and lay their eggs in water. These eggs have a cover similar in consistency to leather which protects the embryo. Finally some sharks maintain a placental link to the developing offspring, are viviparous.

SHARK BEHAVIOUR

Although we have the idea of sharks as lone hunters who roam the ocean in search of food, most of the 360 species of sharks are sedentary and live in benthic areas. In fact sharks can be highly social, remaining in large groups that can exceed 100 specimens as in the case of hammerhead sharks.

hammerhead shark school
In areas like Coco Island or Galapagos Island is possible to spot schools of hammerhead sharks over 100 specimens. Image by zlatkarp 

SHARK ATTACKS

Every year around 100 sharks attack humans worldwide, having recorded seventeen deaths in 2011 of the 118 total registered attacks. Despite the rarity of these attacks almost everyone is afraid of sharks, fear that began with a series of shark attacks off the coast of New Jersey in 1916 and by the movie «Jaws» by Steven Spielberg. Almost all shark experts consider that the danger presented by sharks is exaggerated, contrary to popular belief, only a few sharks are dangerous to humans. Only four species of shark have participated in a significant number of fatal attacks in humans: the great white shark, oceanic whitetip shark, the tiger shark and the bull shark. These sharks are large, powerful predators which can attack and kill people but you need to keep in mind that all of them are photographed without using a protective cage with no attacks.

CONSERVATION

The shark catch has increased rapidly over the last 50 years in correlation to the increased speed at which the Chinese middle class can afford a bowl of shark fin soup, which is priced at around $ 100. Fishermen capture live sharks, slice off the fins and throw the rest of the shark to the sea. Unable to swim the shark dies of suffocation on terrible pain. This practice called shark finning is still permitted in most countries.

shark fin market
Shark fin market in Hong Kong. Image Wikipedia

An estimated 100 million sharks are caught each year being Spain one of the leading exporters of shark fins and meat worldwide. Sharks are a common food in many places, including Japan, Australia, India, China, Iceland, UK and Spain. Although it is generally considered that shark meat has high nutritional value numerous studies confirm that eating the fins can accelerate the onset of Alzheimer’s and its meat has high levels of mercury and is very dangerous for pregnant women and children.

The main problem of overfishing sharks over other fish is that sharks reach sexual maturity after many years and produce few offspring in comparison to other fish. Fishing sharks that have not yet mated seriously affect the balance of the sharks population. Many governments and the UN have acknowledged the need for management of shark fisheries, but progress has been limited largely by the poor public image of sharks.

In 2009, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has placed on the Red List of Threatened Species up to 64 species of sharks.

Tags: sharks, tiburón, tiburón blanco, tiburón martillo, tiger sharks, white shark
Previous
Top 10 tips for newbie divers to improve diving skills
Next
Jacques Cousteau, turning science fiction into reality

Related Articles

Guía de buceo en Batangas, Filipinas

Diving Guide in Batangas, Philippines

Read more
5 pósters de tiburones perfectos como regalo para cualquier amante del océano

5 shark posters perfect as a gift for any ocean lover

Read more
5 excelentes barcos de buceo vida a bordo del Mar Rojo por menos de 100 € al día

5 excellent Red Sea liveaboards for less than 100 € per day

Read more
Guía de buceo en Puerto Galera, Filipinas

Puerto Galera Diving Guide, Philippines

Read more

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Latest posts

Guía de buceo en Batangas, Filipinas
destinos de buceo
Diving Guide in Batangas, Philippines
5 pósters de tiburones perfectos como regalo para cualquier amante del océano
buceo con tiburones
5 shark posters perfect as a gift for any ocean lover
5 excelentes barcos de buceo vida a bordo del Mar Rojo por menos de 100 € al día
buceo vida a bordo
5 excellent Red Sea liveaboards for less than 100 € per day
Guía de buceo en Puerto Galera, Filipinas
filipinas
Puerto Galera Diving Guide, Philippines

Do you know our new collection

Product mockup
Diving With Whale Sharks T-Shirt
Sold Out
Select options

Diving With Whale Sharks T-Shirt

Regular price 17,25 € EUR
Sale price 17,25 € EUR Regular price
Unit price
/
Navy
Sapphire
Sport Grey
Ash
+1 See 1 more option(s)
The perfect T-shirt for whale sharks lovers and the peace they represent. How is it...
Select options
Product mockup
Product mockup
Sold Out
Select options

Red Sea Diving T-Shirt

Regular price 17,00 € EUR
Sale price 17,00 € EUR Regular price
Unit price
/
Sky
White
The most important diving areas in the Red Sea summarized in a T-shirt. Sharm, Ras...
Select options
Product mockup
Product mockup
Sold Out
Select options

No Fear in the Sea White Shark T-Shirt

Regular price 22,95 € EUR
Sale price 22,95 € EUR Regular price
Unit price
/
Black
Navy
What do you think you will feel when you dive with great white sharks? Don't let...
Select options
Product mockup
Love 4 Nudis 100% Cotton Nudibranch Tee
Sold Out
Select options

Love 4 Nudis 100% Cotton Nudibranch Tee

Regular price 17,15 € EUR
Sale price 17,15 € EUR Regular price
Unit price
/
What are your favorite nudis? Out of the thousands of nudibranch species, these 12 are...
Select options
Product mockup
Product mockup
Sold Out
Select options

OnlyFins Unisex 100% Cotton T-Shirt

Regular price 16,75 € EUR
Sale price 16,75 € EUR Regular price
Unit price
/
Black
White
For a healthy ocean, full of sharks and their fins. Unisex 100% cotton t-shirt made...
Select options
camiseta boquerones
camiseta sardinas
Sold Out
Select options

One Kilo of Boquerones, Please - Organic T-Shirt

Regular price 24,75 € EUR
Sale price 24,75 € EUR Regular price 24,75 € EUR
Unit price
/
Fraiche Peche
Cotton Pink
Lavender
White
If you've traveled to Greece, this reference might sound familiar. Adapted to our beloved Málaga....
Select options
camiseta barracuda sipadan
camiseta barracuda sipadan
Sold Out
Select options

Barracuda T-Shirt Sipadan Organic Cotton

Regular price 24,75 € EUR
Sale price 24,75 € EUR Regular price 24,75 € EUR
Unit price
/
The Barracuda Point T-shirt is a tribute to one of the best diving destinations in...
Select options
no blue no fun camiseta para buceadoras
no blue no fun for divers
Sold Out
Select options

No Blue No Fun Woman T-Shirt For Divers

Regular price 24,75 € EUR
Sale price 24,75 € EUR Regular price 24,75 € EUR
Unit price
/
Navy
Black
Dark Grey Heather
Poppy
+6 See 6 more option(s)
No blue, no fun. As soon as we get out of the water, all we...
Select options
Go to Fordivers store

About us

  • About
  • Shipping
  • Returns and Exchanges
  • Blog
  • Terms
  • Do not sell my personal information
  • Terms
  • Stockists

Colecciones

  • T-Shirts
  • Organic Cotton
  • Woman
  • Sweatshirts
  • Nudis
  • Underwater Photo
  • Ocean wall art
  • Sharks
  • Whales
  • Diving
  • Manta Rays

Contacta con nosotros

0034 630172163 info@fordivers.store

Dive trips

  • Maldives
  • Red Sea
  • Indonesia
  • Galapagos
  • Socorro Island
  • Raja Ampat
  • Philippines
© Fordivers 2023
Payment options:
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Google Pay
  • Maestro
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Union Pay
  • Visa
Este sitio web utiliza cookies para mejorar tu experiencia en nuestro sitio web. Saber más