Page 180 - (DK) Super Shark Encyclopedia: And Other Creatures of the Deep

SNEAKY KILLER

BROADNOSE “This shark

SEVENGILL SHARK pokes its head

out of the water
In coastal ocean waters close to where muddy rivers
run into the sea, conditions can get very murky. This
makes it difficult for many ocean-going predators to to find prey near
hunt their prey—but not this one. The broadnose sevengill
shark loves this habitat: it is just right for sneaking up on the surface”
prey without being seen. This shark hunts large prey,
including dolphins and other sharks. It does not have the
stamina for long chases, so it gets as close to its victim as
it can before attacking from behind with a quick burst of
speed. Sometimes several sharks work together during
a hunt to take their prey by surprise.

AT A GLANCE

• SIZE 7¼–9¾ ft (2.2–3 m) long
• HABITAT Coastal ocean waters, bays, and
estuaries, often in cloudy water
• LOCATION Coastlines of western North
America, South America, South Africa, and
the western Pacific Ocean
• DIET Fish, including other sharks,
seals, dolphins, and carrion

STATS AND FACTS

SPEED 5–22 km/h (3–13½ mph)
hunting speed
This shark spends much
mph 5 10 15
of its time cruising
slowly, but it can move
km/h 5 10 15 20 25
fast to attack its prey.
1.7 km/h (1 mph) cruising speed
SWIMMING DEPTH

ft 500 1,000 1,500
EST. MAXIMUM LIFESPAN
m 200 400 600
0–570 m (0–1,870 ft) 50

YEARS
178