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Photo: NOAA Photo Library, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.Dive deep into the fascinating world of sharks! Test your knowledge on their unique biology, incredible senses, cinematic history, and the truths behind common myths.
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The whale shark can grow longer than a bus, with the biggest reliably measured at about 18 metres, yet it is a gentle filter feeder. It swims with its huge mouth wide open, straining tiny plankton, krill and small fish from the water. Its mouth holds over 300 rows of tiny teeth, but they don't seem to play any part in feeding.
Photo: Abe Khao Lak, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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The great white shark has recorded the most unprovoked attacks on humans, followed by the tiger shark and the bull shark. Most of these encounters are believed to be test bites born of curiosity or mistaken identity, as humans do not possess the calorie-rich blubber that sharks require to fuel their massive bodies.
Photo: BakedintheHole, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
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Steven Spielberg named the notoriously temperamental animatronic shark Bruce after his own entertainment lawyer, Bruce Ramer. The mechanical beast constantly malfunctioned in salt water, which actually forced Spielberg to shoot many scenes from the shark's point of view, dramatically increasing the movie's suspense.
Photo: Roger Kastel, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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These leathery pouches often wash up on beaches and are called mermaid's purses. Each usually holds one baby shark, skate or chimaera, and curly tendrils anchor it to seaweed or rocks. Many sharks give birth to live young, but catsharks and several others lay these cases.
Photo: Xtylee, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
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Although popular media sometimes suggests Megalodon might still lurk in the deep ocean, fossil evidence shows they died out about 3.6 million years ago. Their extinction is linked to global cooling and a drop in the populations of the marine mammals they hunted, combined with competition from newer predators like killer whales.
Photo: JJonahJackalope, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Also known as placoid scales, dermal denticles are structurally similar to tiny teeth, complete with dentin and enamel. They point backward to channel water efficiently over the shark's body, reducing turbulence. This unique texture has even inspired the design of high-tech swimsuits and drag-reducing coatings for airplanes.
Photo: P.j.alfaiate, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Tonic immobility is a natural, involuntary reflex in sharks that can last up to 15 minutes. Scientists often use this safe, non-chemical method to calm sharks during research and tagging procedures. Interestingly, some killer whales have learned to exploit this vulnerability, holding sharks upside down to suffocate them.
Photo: PARAKANYAA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
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The White Shark Café is a patch of open Pacific Ocean halfway between Baja California and Hawaii. Sharks swim there from the coast of California, a trip that can take up to 100 days. It was long thought to be almost empty, but in 2018 scientists found a rich food web hidden in the deep water.
Photo: Obtund, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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The ampullae of Lorenzini are tiny jelly-filled pores, mostly around a shark's snout. They are so sensitive that they can pick up the faint electric signals of a fish hiding under the sand. The lateral line, on the other hand, senses movement and vibrations in the water.
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Sharks belong to a class of fish called Chondrichthyes, which means their skeletons are made entirely of cartilage rather than bone. This lightweight material helps them stay buoyant and turn quickly in the water. Interestingly, sharks can still fossilize because their teeth and jaw parts often calcify over time.
Photo: NOAA Photo Library, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
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