Page 69 - Shark

JH000
280mm x 216mm PMU Q4 v5

recorD breakers UK Edition

hard to find longest tail
The fact that the Thresher sharks have tails about
megamouth shark was as long as their bodies.
discovered as recently
as 1976, and only about
37 sightings have been murky depths
documented up to 2007, The deepest level at which sharks
suggests that this is one have been sighted is around 13,000 ft
of the rarest species. (4,000 m). Only a few sharks live at
such depths because there is so little
champion swimmer for them to eat.
The fastest-moving
sharks are the blue and
the mako. The blue shark
can reach speeds up to
43 mph (69 km/h), but
only in short bursts; their
normal speed is about
7 mph(11 km/h).
intrepid traveler
The most widely traveled
species is the blue shark,
which commonly migrates
up to 2,000 miles (3,000
km). Atlantic blues may
do a round trip of up to
10,000 miles (17,000 km).
A great white shark called
Nicole was tracked using
a satellite tag. She swam
6,800 miles (11,000 km)
across the Indian Ocean.
Whale shark being filmed by a diver
danger!
old man of the sea Amanzimtoti beach in South Africa is
Most sharks live for 20 to 30 years, but one of the most dangerous beaches in Nurse shark
some reach 80. Experts suspect that the the world for shark attacks.
large, slow whale shark may even be homebody
capable of surviving to 150, making it one ancient survivor The least enthusiastic traveler is the
of the longest-living creatures on earth. The frilled shark resembles primitive nurse shark, which remains in the same
extinct sharks in that it has six pairs of small section of reef for its entire life.
mini monster gill slits.
One of the smallest species of shark is
the dwarf lantern that grows to about
20 cm (8 in) long.
whopping whale
The largest species of shark (and the
largest fish that has ever lived) is the whale
shark. Exaggerated measurements of up to Gill slit
18 m (60 ft) long and weighing 40 tonnes
have been reported. Like great whales,
these giants feed on plankton, which
is how they got their name.
enormous eggs yawning hole
Scientists once thought that whale The jaws of Carcharocles megalodon,
sharks laid huge eggs 30 cm (12 in) ancient ancestor of the great white Frilled shark
long, but they give birth to live young. shark, were 6 ft 6 in (1.8 m) across; in
contrast, those of the largest recorded
growing pains great white measure only 23 in (58 cm). shark mania
The fastest developers are large pelagic Megalodon’s teeth were also twice as Peter Benchley’s novel Jaws is one of the
sharks, such as blue sharks; they can grow big as the great white’s. world’s best-selling fiction books, and
up to 30 cm (12 in) in a single year. the first film based on it is one of the
top-grossing movies of all time.
plentiful food bad guys
Possibly the most common shark Great white sharks are responsible for prize catch
throughout the world is the spiny (piked) more attacks on people than any other Many records for the great white shark
dogfish, which is also eaten more widely species of shark, but tiger, bull, and are exaggerated, such as the one caught
than any other type. Because of this, its hammerhead sharks have also been near Malta in 1992, allegedly 24 ft (7.10 m)
numbers are declining significantly. known to attack humans. long and over 7,700 lbs (3,500 kg).

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