Page 41 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Collagen WorldMags.net

The skin has a layer of collagen
that anchors the swimming
muscles and acts as a kind of
external skeleton.

Skin
The skin is formed of
tiny tooth-like dermal
denticles, providing a
tough armour.
Gills
Five gill slits provide a huge
surface area for absorbing
oxygen from the water. Fins
The dorsal fi n along
the back provides
Muscle types
Red muscle is used for stability, the pectoral
fins give lift and the

cruising and runs just caudal fin at the end

underneath the skin,
carrying oxygen from the is used for thrust.
gills. White muscle contains
no oxygen and is used for
short bursts of energy.
Neural tube

Skeleton
The skeleton is made of a strong
fibrous substance called cartilage.

This is much lighter and fl exible
than bone, enabling the shark
to be supple and save vital
swimming energy.
Intestines

Closest family
Crown tip
Cousins of the great white include…
Retractable teeth
Cusplet
The dentition of great
Enamel
whites is retractable
and teeth rotate into
Crown
place when the shark
opens its jaw. They are
attached to pressure-
sensitive nerve cells for Mako shark Dogfi sh Stingray
tactile responses. Root A fellow member of This creature Another fellow
the Lamnidae family, belongs to the same elasmobranch is
the mako shark subclass as the the stingray. Along
shares many features great white sharks, with skates, these
with the great white. Elasmobranchii. They fish belong to the

At around three are much smaller superorder Batoidea.
metres (ten feet) in than most shark They share classic
Reproduction 9+ years Solitary predators 9+ years Female maturity 14-16 years length, they feed on species, but still share elasmobranch traits

Not much is known about the great A er mating is concluded, the great whites Females take longer to mature cephalopods and some traits, such as a with great white

white mating season. Females will will separate to roam the ocean and hunt than males, but actually grow bony fish, with similar cartilaginous skeleton sharks and dogfish,
give birth every two years, having alone. They will only congregate again to much larger – up to 4.2 to 4.8 hunting tactics to their and rough, almost but are flattened with

a year off to recuperate. copulate and produce the next generation. metres (14 to 16 feet). great white relatives. sandpaper-like skin. enlarged fins.
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