Page 131 - (DK) Super Shark Encyclopedia: And Other Creatures of the Deep

STRANDING

SURVIVOR

BLIND SHARK

This shark shuns the open ocean and instead spends
its life right beside the warm Australian coastline. It is
rarely seen during the day because it hides in caves
and under rocky ledges. At night it emerges to hunt for
small animals on the coral reef. Despite its name, it has
reasonably good vision, but if it finds itself exposed to
danger, it can pull its vulnerable eyeballs inward and
close them with thick eyelids. It can also survive for
many hours out of water if it is stranded among rocks
when the tide is low.

AT A GLANCE

• SIZE 3¼–4 ft (1–1.2 m) long
• HABITAT Rocky shorelines, coral reefs,
and beds of seagrass
• LOCATION Eastern coast of Australia
• DIET Small fish, cuttlefish, crabs,
and sea anemones

STATS AND FACTS

EYE SIZE
By squinting when
in 1 1 3
out of water, the blind ⁄4 ⁄2 ⁄4
shark can prevent its
cm 0.5 1 1.5 2
eyeballs from drying
11
9 ⁄16– ⁄16 in (1.5–1.8 cm) long
out, and protect them
SENSING PREY from danger. DEPTH
360 ft/110 m (max.)
Although it has normal vision,
ft 150 300 450
the blind shark also uses
sensory feelers on the front MAX. TIME OUT OF WATER m 50 100 150
of its head to sense small 18 0–73 m/0–240 ft (usual)
animal prey among tangles
of seaweed and within the HOURS
coral reef.
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