Page 66 - Shark

Did you know? JH000 280mm x 216mm PMU Q4 v5 UK Edition

Fascinating Facts

Natives of some Pacific islands Model of cladoselache,
once worshipped sharks as an ancient shark
gods, and would therefore never
consider eating their meat. Tiger shark’s jaw

Since they first appeared millions
Like many mammals, of years ago, sharks have
including humans, A shark’s specialized probably changed less in evolutionary
sharks have large hearts with intestine (the spiral valve) terms than any other vertebrate.
four separate chambers. provides a relatively large surface area
in a limited space. It slows up digestion
considerably, though, so a meal can take
Sharks often anything up to four days to digest. In 17th-century France,
have fantastically shark brain was eaten to ease the pain
powerful jaws; some are of childbirth. It was also combined
capable of exerting with white wine and taken
130 lb (60 kg) of for kidney stones.
pressure per
tooth when
they bite. On average,
a shark can
survive on 0.5–3
per cent of its body
weight per day. Faster,
more active sharks need
Galapagos shark to eat more than slower,
sluggish sharks.
The Galapagos shark lives mostly
around tropical reefs but may swim
long distances between islands. Giving his work the title The
Physical Impossibility of Death in
Great white the Mind of Someone Living, English artist
shark’s tooth A shark dart is a crude form Damien Hirst exhibited an Australian tiger
of protection against sharks. shark preserved in green embalming fluid
The dart is fired into a shark and inside a steel and glass tank.
Boat builders in some releases carbon dioxide, causing the
parts of Africa rub the shark to float to the surface and die.
wood of a new craft with Unidentified bite marks were
hammerhead oil in the belief discovered on the rubber coating of
that it will ensure fair winds and listening devices on submarines belonging
successful voyages. to the US Navy. The marks turned out to be
made by the cookiecutter sharks.
A shark has an extremely stretchy,
U-shaped stomach that can expand The meat of sharks is still widely
to accommodate an enormous meal, which eaten (such as dogfish and even
will last the animal several days. More than twice as durable as porbeagles) but that of the Greenland
conventional leather, shark skin shark is inedible until left to rot. It
has been used in the same way to make is a delicacy in Iceland
Sharks in captivity can grow faster shoes, handbags, and belts. despite a
than they would in the wild because strong flavor
they are fed well and do not need to hunt. Hawksbill of ammonia.
turtle

A large part of a shark’s brain is
linked to its sense of smell; sharks
can detect one part of scent in 10 billion
parts of water.
Upper tail
(caudal) lobe
The teeth of a tiger shark
are strong enough to crunch
through a turtle’s bones and shell.
Aside from people, a shark’s
greatest enemy is another
About 38 million sharks are caught shark; most sharks will happily eat
each year for the fin trade. any of their relations, including
their own species.

64