The basic!
Sharks use these side openings to breathe, typically numbering 5 to 7.
Hint: what do they use to breathe?
what are gills?
(Gills)
This infamous species, featured in "Jaws," can be considered one of the largest predatory fish
What is a great white shark?
(Great white shark)
This prominent fin on a shark's back is often the first thing seen above water; it helps the shark stay upright and balanced while swimming.
What is the dorsal fin?
(Dorsal fin)
This internal "GPS" system relies on the shark's ability to sense these invisible lines to navigate thousands of miles across the open ocean.
hint: don't think to much about sharks, but what a compass needle points toward)
What is the Earth's magnetic field?
A predator at the top of its food chain with no natural enemies, a role most large sharks play.
What is an Apex Predator?
unlike bony fish, sharks skeleton is made of this flexible material.
What is cartilage?
( Cartilage)
This is the largest shark species in the world, known for being a gentle filter feeder.
What is a whale shark?
(Whale shark)
This method of breathing, used by Great Whites and Makos, requires the shark to swim with its mouth open to "ram" water over its gills.
What is ram ventilation?
(Ram ventilation or obligate ram ventilators.)
Sound is often the first sense a shark uses to find prey; they are most attracted to this specific type of "erratic" noise that mimics a wounded fish.
Hint: what do bats do, not echolocation but what it's considered.
What is low-frequency (or infrasound)?
(low-frequency or infrasound)
This is the specific term for a baby shark, whether it’s born live or hatched from an egg.
What is a pup?
(pup)
This is the term for the tiny, tooth-like scales covering a shark's skin.
Hint sandpaper texture
What are dermal denticles?
( Dermal Denticles)
Known for its unique head shape, this shark uses its wide head to find food.
What is a hammerhead?
(Hammerhead shark)
Some sharks, like Nurse sharks, can sit still on the seafloor because they use these cheek muscles to actively "pump" water into their mouths.
What is buccal pumping?
A shark uses these internal "ear stones" to detect gravity and acceleration, helping them stay balanced in the water.
What are otoliths?
(Otoliths)
A collective noun for a group of sharks, it’s a word often associated with cold or fear.
What is a shiver?
(Shiver)
Because they lack a swim bladder, sharks rely on this large, oil-filled organ for buoyancy.
What is the liver?
(Liver)
This type of shark is known for its ability to swim up rivers and live in freshwater.
what is the bull shark?
(Bull shark
Because a shark’s digestive tract is relatively short, it has this unique, corkscrew-shaped internal valve that slows down food to maximize nutrient absorption.
What is the spiral valve (or spiral intestine)?
This reflective layer behind the eye helps sharks see in dark or murky water, just like a cat's eyes.
What is the Tapetum Lucidum?
(Tapetum Lucidum)
This camouflage technique, where a shark's belly is white and its back is dark, is used to hide from both above and below.
What is Countershading?
(counter shading)
Sharks possess this "sixth sense," allowing them to detect electrical currents from prey.
Hint, has something to do with electricity
What is electroreception (or ampullae of Lorenzini)?
( electroreception or ampullae of Lorenzini)
This deep-sea shark has a long, pointed snout and 300+ teeth, with a projectile jaw, and often called ugly!
What is a goblin shark?
(Goblin shark)
This sensory system consists of a row of fluid-filled canals along a shark's side that allows it to feel vibrations and pressure changes in the water.
What is the lateral line?
(Lateral line)
This protective, third eyelid sweeps across the eye to prevent injury when a shark is biting its prey.
What is the Nictitating Membrane?
(Nictitating Membrane)
The scientific class that includes all cartilaginous fish like sharks, rays, and skates.
what is Chondrichthyes ?
( Chondrichthyes )