Page 56 - World of Animals - Book of Sharks & Ocean Predators

Sharks & Ocean Predators
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Sensitive touch

Shark skin can detect much more being covered in rounded scales like
than a simple touch, it can recognise a other fish, sharks have pointed scales

temperature change of as little as 0.1 called denticles that are only 0.01
degrees Celsius. Sharks use this sense millimetres wide. These are tooth-
to navigate to fronts of cold water shaped and offer the shark important
which are nutrient-rich upwellings that protection from their predators, as
attract prey. They can then track prey well as streamlining its body. This
by following cold currents. combination of armour and sensitivity
Despite being so sensitive, shark helps the shark maintain its brilliant
skin is still very tough. Rather than predatory advantage.

Blood detection Nasal cavity

Sharks have one of the best senses of
The hammerhead shark’s sense of smell is one of the smell of any ocean animal
most important in their arsenal, and a shark is able to
detect just a teaspoon of blood in an Olympic-sized
swimming pool.
Hammerhead sharks achieve this amazing sensitivity Scent- detecting cells
by having two nasal cavities called nares, which each
have an entry and exit openings. Inside the nares are Blood
a maze of chambers lined with skin folds covered
with the all-important scent detectors. The cells that
decipher smells send this information to the brain, Skin folds
where the shark decides what course of action
they should take.
Two thirds of a hammerhead’s brain weight is Nerves
dedicated to decoding smells, making them some of
the most advanced sniffers in the sea.

Tail
The powerful tail is heterocercal
(asymmetric), giving the hammerhead
shark an edge as it turns quickly and
beats the powerful tail to swim at a top
speed of 40 kilometres per hour (25 miles
per hour).

Streamlined
The torpedo shape of the
shark’s body is the ultimate “Sense of smell is one of the most
in streamlining technology
and helps propel the important, and a shark is able to
hammerhead through the
water. It is this hydrodynamic
shape that inspired the shape detect just a teaspoon of blood in
of aeroplanes.
an Olympic-sized swimming pool”

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