Shark Anatomy & Senses
Unlike human skeletons made of bone, a shark's skeleton is composed entirely of this flexible tissue.
What is cartilage?
Named for its distinctively shaped, wide head, this apex predator has eyes positioned to give it 360-degree vertical vision.
What is the hammerhead shark?
Directed by Steven Spielberg in 1975, this iconic horror film made generations of beachgoers afraid to go into the water.
What is Jaws?
Contrary to the myth that sharks must constantly swim or die, many bottom-dwelling species use these structures behind their eyes to pump water over their gills while resting.
What are spiracles?
Living millions of years ago, this massive extinct species—whose name literally means "big tooth"—is estimated to have reached lengths of up to 50 feet.
What is the Megalodon?
Sharks use these side openings on their bodies to extract oxygen from the surrounding water.
What are gills?
Growing up to 60 feet long, this filter-feeding giant holds the title of the largest living fish species on Earth.
What is the whale shark?
In Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo, this Great White shark tries to stick to the motto "Fish are friends, not food."
Who is Bruce?
Humans pose a far greater threat to sharks than sharks do to humans, with an estimated this many sharks killed by human fishing activity every year (approximate range).
What is ~100 million?
Sharks first appeared in Earth's oceans roughly 450 million years ago, making them older than these famous terrestrial reptiles.
What are dinosaurs?
These modified V-shaped scales covering a shark's skin reduce friction and turbulence, allowing them to swim silently.
What are dermal denticles?
Recognizable by dark vertical stripes on its body, this highly aggressive scavenger species eats almost anything, earning it the nickname "garbage can of the sea."
What is the tiger shark?
First airing in 1988, Discovery Channel runs this popular annual week-long block of TV programming dedicated entirely to sharks.
What is Shark Week?
Myth busters often note that you are statistically more likely to be hit by this falling tropical fruit than to be attacked by a shark.
What is a coconut?
Because cartilage rarely fossilizes, the vast majority of the shark fossil record consists of these hard body parts.
What are teeth?
Located around their snouts, these special sensing organs allow sharks to detect electro-magnetic fields produced by prey.
What are the Ampullae of Lorenzini?
Known as the fastest shark in the ocean, this species can reach swimming speeds of over 40 mph in short bursts.
What is the Shortfin Mako shark?
This 2013 Syfy cult classic television movie features a absurd meteorological disaster hurling airborne predators at Los Angeles.
What is Sharknado?
Despite popular belief that sharks can smell a drop of blood miles away, most sharks can detect scents at a ratio of about 1 part per this number.
What is 1 million (or 1 billion)?
This strange prehistoric shark species is famous for its unique "tooth whorl" lower jaw that resembled a circular saw.
What is Helicoprion?
Lacking a swim bladder for buoyancy, sharks rely on an extraordinarily large organ filled with squalene oil to help keep them afloat.
What is the liver?
Named after its long, whip-like tail fin used to stun schooling fish, this shark's tail can make up half its total body length.
What is the thresher shark?
In the classic Saturday Night Live sketch from 1975, this sneaky shark character knocks on doors tricking residents into opening up.
Who is the Landshark?
While myths claim sharks are completely immune to this disease, scientists confirmed in the 1990s that tumors do occasionally form in shark tissue.
What is cancer?
Dating back 380 million years, this well-preserved Devonian apex predator is one of the earliest fully fossilized primitive sharks discovered.
What is Cladoselache?