Page 15 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators
P. 15
The truth about sharks
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BULL SHARK
Carcharhinus leucas
Class Chondrichthyes
Territory Coasts of the
southern hemisphere
Diet Fish, marine mammals
Lifespan Up to 16 years
Adult weight 90-230kg (198-
507lb)
Conservation status
NEAR THREATENED
Four myths about sharks
Some fallacies about the oceans’ greatest hunters
All sharks are Sharks have to Sharks can smell
man-eaters turn on their side human blood
While some species do to bite properly from miles away
indeed have an occasional Sharks are adept at biting They can smell food, but if
nibble on unfortunate and certainly don’t have to their sense of smell were
humans (the great whites, be sideways in order to do so sensitive as to detect
bull and tiger variety so. The misconception could human blood from miles
being among them), that come from the fact that away, the other smells
leaves approximately 475 they whip their prey around throughout the ocean
types of sharks that don’t. to break off chunks of meat. would be overwhelming.
Sharks need to Buccal chamber Mouth closed “Sharks
The valves are open,
keep moving in Sharks maintain a so the buccal chamber
order to survive flow of water to their contracts and forces are adept
It’s true to a certain extent gills by expanding and water through the gills.
contracting a cavity in
that some sharks need to at biting
their head called the
move in order to breathe as
buccal chamber.
they need water flowing over and certainly
their gills to take in oxygen,
but the vast majority are
Mouth open don’t need to
able to pump water over
Valves leaving the
their gills. This means they gills stay closed and be sideways in
can remain more or less water rushes in to
stationary in the water and the buccal chamber
causing it to expand. order to do so”
still “breathe”.
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