Sharks is animals that have lived in the oceans for over 400 million years. Throughout history, sharks have survived five mass extinction. Due to the portrayal of sharks in several movies, people often think of sharks as mindless killer.
However, there are many different type of sharks, each with its own characteristics. Understanding these different types of sharks are important for the protection of the ocean and it’s ecosystem. Great white sharks can reach lengths of 20 feet and weigh over 2 tons.
Different Types of Sharks You Should Know
1. Great White Sharks
These sharks dont always chase there prey. Instead, great white sharks like to cruise beneath the ocean surface near seal colony. Great white sharks will jump out of the ocean to catch sleeping seals.
This hunting technique requires alot of energy, so great white sharks tend to cruise beneath the ocean surface for most of they lives. Great white sharks are often curious about new objects and may bite on humans out of curiosity and because they think that humans is seals.
2. Hammerhead Sharks
Hammerhead sharks have unusual head shape. This unique shape allow their eyes to see 360 degrees around the shark, and their heads help them to detect prey by electrical field. People have seen them detecting stingrays underneath the sand and pin them with their snout. These sharks live in school.
There are believed to be fewer hammerhead sharks than other species of shark, so their slow reproduction rate make them vulnerable to overfishing.
3. Whale Sharks
Whale sharks are the largest species of fish in the world today. These fish can reach lengths of sixty feet. Unlike other sharks, whale sharks do not prey upon large sea animal. Instead, they filter food such as plankton, krill, and small fish from the ocean. These gentle giant are often seen in ecotourism area around the world.
Ecotourism not only benefits these areas financially, but it also causes people to develop a desire to protect these sharks from extinction.
4. Goblin Sharks
The goblin shark is a deep-sea shark species that lives in the darkest part of the ocean where there is no sunlight. Its body is a pinkish-gray color, and its lower jaw can quickly move forward in order to catch its prey. The goblin shark use its lower jaw to grab at prey that it detects by electrical signal. Very few people in the world see this deep-sea fish.
5. Blacktip Sharks
Blacktip sharks are a smaller species of shark that reaches a length of five to six feet. These sharks live near warm coastal area. People know blacktip sharks for jumping out of the ocean in pursuit of their prey. These sharks have distinctive black tip on their fins. Blacktip sharks may bite on humans due to confusing the human for their food. However, these bite are usually not life-threatening because of the small size of the shark’s jaw.
6. Nurse Sharks
Nurse sharks lead a relatively quiet life. Nurse sharks rest most of their lives within cave and under ledges. Nurse sharks are not active during the day but do come out at night to hunt for food. Nurse sharks use their fleshy appendage to discover food on the seafloor. These sharks tend to be docile but will bite if humans step on them or humans harass them.
7. Bull Sharks
Bull sharks are an aggressive species of shark that live in both salt and fresh water. People have seen bull sharks traveling many mile up rivers into fresh water, even thousands of miles away from the ocean’s ecosystem. Bull sharks’ ability to live in fresh water mean they come into contact with humans more than other shark species. Experts believe that bull sharks are the shark species most likely to bite on humans. However, most bull shark bite are done out of curiosity or mistaken identity of humans as prey.
8. Tiger Sharks
Tiger sharks have dark stripe along their bodies when they are young but these stripes fade as they age into adulthood. These sharks have extremely large appetite and will eat almost any matter they encounter in the ocean. Tiger sharks eat fish but will also eat object like tires and plastic. Because of their tendency to eat plastic waste in the ocean, tiger sharks may die from eating these unnatural object.
9. Thresher Sharks
Thresher sharks use their tail to hunt for prey. The upper lobe of their tail is very long and strong. These sharks will swim in circles so that their tail can strike at fish and kill them. These sharks use this ability to hunt for prey that other shark species cannot catch.
10. Epaulette Sharks
The epaulette shark is a small species of shark that measure only three feet in length. This species of shark can walk on their fin over coral reef during low tide. These sharks can survive in water that has very low level of oxygen. This ability to survive in low-oxygen environment allow these sharks to hunt in tidal pool where other shark species cannot survive.