The characteristics of sharks are something very important that all those who want to learn or develop some type of research on them should know. They have existed since time immemorial, becoming one of the oldest species. Next, you will learn about the characteristics of sharks and other important aspects.
The shark
The shark is an animal that is classified as a predator, it has the reputation of being an evil animal that, as we well know, plagues many other marine species, including humans, so in most cases when they meet very close to a shark, have fatal outcomes. It is a very feared ocean animal due to its destructive capacity, it is very agile and can move to different depths quite quickly.
From the emergence of this species to the present, it has had a quite remarkable evolution, turning it into an excellent animal, it has an evolutionary-type anatomy, that is, it improves as the years go by. In the world there are about 360 species of this animal, this is also known as Escualo, is also given the name of Jaqueton, This is how the white shark and the bull shark are known, due to their progressive extinction, an imbalance of the ocean is estimated.
Shark characteristics
Already entering the topic, then the characteristics of the sharks will be shown, which are shown as follows:
- They are animals that belong to the fish family.
- What is considered its skeleton is something that is made up of a set of cartilage with flexible tissue and a weight that is considerably less than that of any bone.
- The way they breathe is particular, through membranes that are on the left and right of their bodies, through their gills they breathe underwater, just like other fish do.
- To avoid being seen by their victims or their attackers, they have the ability to camouflage themselves.
- The colors of their bodies are mostly dark on the upper part, while the lower part is colored like gray or white.
- The skin of these is quite thick, it is also very rough and has great resistance, this protects them in combat with other animals and also from possible attacks that they receive.
- Depending on the species, its size varies, however, the whale shark is the largest of these and it has been calculated to be about 18 meters long.
- One of the most notorious characteristics of sharks is that their skin is designed so that they can make silent movements.
- Its teeth can vary according to the species of shark, a particular trait that it has is that after carrying out attacks or combats it has the ability to regenerate.
- In hunting issues, sharks can perceive electrical vibrations that help them locate their target, they are much more active at night and most of the time they walk alone. There are some species that are more sociable when it is time to mate.
- As for the life of the same, this occurs in an average of 20 to 30 years and in the case of the Bull shark, it adapts to live either in freshwater or saltwater.
What is the habitat of sharks?
Their habitat is the ocean, worldwide we can find them anywhere and the distribution of these animals depends on some aspects such as the temperature and depth of the waters, there are also other factors that depend to form their habitat such as it is the quantity of food that they can find.
Regarding this issue of habitat, one of the main characteristics of sharks is that they adapt to any environment. If they have to live in shallow waters they will do so and if they have to live at the bottom of the sea they will also do so or in the open sea if necessary, in general they prefer to live in temperate zones and also tropical zones.
shark feeding
As characteristics of sharks in terms of food, what we should note is that they are very variable in this area. They are capable of eating practically anything, but their favorite foods are plankton, crabs, shrimp or other crustaceans and in some cases they can feed on other sharks. To get food faster, they use their developed sense of smell that allows them to detect the closest food.
reproduction process
There are not many characteristics of sharks to reproduce, mainly what stands out is that it can occur when they reach the moment of sexual maturity. In the vast majority of cases, this process occurs when they are between 9 and 15 years of age.
At the time of giving birth, sharks can have between one and two pups, the method they use to reproduce can vary, mostly the viviparous reproduction which means that the shark is born fully formed.
As a minor alternative, sharks use the oviparous reproduction and this consists of giving birth to the offspring ready to live, this happens because the shark's egg stays inside the womb, explodes and results in the shark being born ready to enter the adventures of the ocean.
The most important species of sharks
As we explained previously, there are a large number of sharks, however, below, we will show you a summary in which the most outstanding species of these animals are detailed:
White shark
This animal is known as Carcharodon Carcharis, The measurement of this animal is 7,5 meters, having a size that is considered light.
It receives the name of White shark because a large number of the parts of its body are white, while the entire back of it is light gray.
Bull shark
The scientific name given to this is Taurus carcharias. However, around the planet a large number of names are given, such as Damsel Shark o Sand Tiger Shark, this belongs to the group Odontaspidae. The size of these animals is 3,5 meters as a maximum measure and their weight ranges from 90 to 200 kg.
The entire outside of this shark is covered in gray and the belly area is white. As characteristics of bull sharks we highlight as most important adapting to live in different habitats, since it can live both in fresh water and in salt water (it lives in rivers and seas).
Thresher Shark
This shark is known depending on the place with various names. Rabon, Big Eyed Fox y Spectacled Fox. Now if we go to the scientific name of it, this name is Alopias superciliosus, Regarding the color of this animal, the part of its belly is white and its surface is Dark Brown. This color lends itself to confusion in people who may notice it as a gray color and in some cases black.
The measure of these in terms of their size ranges from 3 to 4 meters in normal circumstances, the maximum size of it is 5 meters and if we talk about its weight, it goes on an average from 160 kg to 360 kg.
Blue Shark
This is a shark model that has a scientific name Prionace Glauca, the same apart from this name also has others that have been given in different places, it is possible that by reading in some places you will find names like Caella, Azulejo, Caguella or Blue Shark.
As far as colors are concerned, this animal is considered beautiful by those who have seen it, this is due to the combination of colors that it has, which is a completely white belly with a combination of metallic blue on everything on the back. of the same. The size of this shark is about 2.5 meters and in terms of its weight it is 80 kg.
Tiger shark
This type of shark is known as cuvier galeopig in scientific terms and colloquially many say "sea tiger”. He belongs to the family of Carchahinidae and it is well known because it is one of the largest sharks, this size ranges from 3 to 4.5 meters on average, it is said that according to their growth they can reach a maximum of 7 meters in some cases with a total weight of 600 kg.
The characteristics of sharks of this type in terms of color are a combination that is formed by a green or blue belly, these colors also apply to its back and allow it to camouflage itself.
Whale shark
This is a shark whose scientific name is Rhincodon Typus and belongs to the family of rhinocodontidae, It is also known by names like domino fish and also how Lady fish.
The entire part of its belly is white and its back is quite dark gray, around it it has yellow and white polka dots that together form horizontal and vertical lines. Its total size is 12 meters.