Table of Contents

Sharks

400-year-old shark

The oldest Greenland shark was found to had lived for nearly 400 years. The sampling was done using the pulse of carbon-14. The Greenland shark grows slowly. 1)

The first comparative study of sharks

In 1553, French naturalist Pierre Belon published the first comparative study of sharks. In addition to a drawing of a hammerhead shark, it included an illustration of a shark, which he named Canis Carcharias. At the time, it was common practice to choose descriptive names based on physical characteristics rather than classification. 2)

Sea dogs

Sharks were commonly referred to as “sea dogs” - hence the Latin canis, while the second part of the name comes from the Greek “Carcharias” (to sharpen). The term “sea belt” (sea dog) is still used in Croatian today. The word “sharke” was popularized by sailor Sir John Hawkins, who brought and exhibited the first specimen in London, in 1569. 3)

Rogue

The English word shark comes probably from the German word “schurke” which means “rogue”. 4)

Megamouth

The rarest in the world is, discovered in 1976, a shark called megamouth. It is huge. The megamouths are thought to grow to 17 feet long and stay most of the time in the depths of the ocean, swimming out only at night. 5)

Shortfin mako

The fastest swimming shark is a shortfin mako, a cheetah in the underwater world. It reaches speeds of 45 miles per hour. Its streamlined body helps minimize water resistance. Another useful biological adaptation of the mako is its ability to maintain a higher body temperature than the surrounding water, so it can channel energy more efficiently into its muscles to achieve higher speeds. Besides, it can leap above the water's surface. 6)

No threat to humans

Science films about sharks are often recorded without the use of a protective cage. They posed no threat to humans at the time. 7)

Shark attacks

The highest number of shark attacks on humans has been reported in the United States. However, the most fatalities have occurred in Australia. 8)

500 species of sharks

To date, humans have managed to classify more than 500 species of sharks. 9)

2.29 miles

The record shark was at a depth of 2.29 miles. 10)

Head above water

Hollywood has popularized the image of a shark sticking its head above the water while hunting. In reality, one species does this, which is the man-eating shark. 11)

Megalodon

Megalodon is an extinct species of shark that lived 15.9 to 2.6 million years ago. The largest individuals reached lengths of up to 18 meters. 12)

Teeth regrowth

A new tooth grows in place of the lost tooth. Depending on the species, a shark can lose up to 30,000 teeth during its lifetime. 13)

Play dead

Some shark species have the ability to fall into apparent death. 14)

Good eyesight

In clear water, sharks can see 10 times better than humans. 15)

Glow in the dark

About 50 different species of sharks glow in the dark. 16)

Personalities

Scientists have determined that sharks can be introverts or extroverts. 17)