Adaptations of sharks
This organ helps sharks stay buoyant instead of a swim bladder.
Answer: What is the liver?
This large filter-feeding shark is the biggest fish in the ocean.
What is the whale shark?
Sharks have been on Earth for about this many million years.
What is over 400 million years?
Many shark species are threatened by this practice where their fins are removed.
What is shark finning?
This month is often celebrated as “Shark Week.”
What is July?
Rows of these are constantly replaced throughout a shark’s life.
What are teeth?
This hammer-headed shark’s unique head shape helps it with vision and hunting.
What is the great hammerhead shark?
The 1975 blockbuster Jaws was based on a great white shark attack off this U.S. coast.
What is the New Jersey coast?
Sharks are important to the ocean because they act as this, keeping ecosystems balanced.
What are apex predators?
This shark can survive in both saltwater and freshwater environments.
What is the bull shark?
This special sense organ detects tiny electric fields produced by prey.
What are the ampullae of Lorenzini?
Known for its long, whip-like tail used to stun prey.
What is the thresher shark?
This part of a shark’s body allows it to smell blood in the water from miles away.
What are the nostrils (or olfactory organs)?
This global organization monitors the conservation status of shark species.
What is the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)?
Sharks belong to this class of fish, which also includes rays and skates.
What is Chondrichthyes?
The rough, sandpaper-like skin of sharks is covered with these tiny tooth-like scales.
What are dermal denticles?
This prehistoric-looking shark has a frilled appearance and eel-like body.
What is the frilled shark?
Shark skeletons are made of this flexible material instead of bone.
What is cartilage?
Some sharks are caught accidentally in fishing nets, a problem known as this.
What is bycatch?
A shark’s babies are called this.
What are pups?
Some deep-sea sharks can glow in the dark thanks to this adaptation.
What is bioluminescence?
This species is known for giving “birth” to fully developed pups rather than laying eggs.
What is the bull shark (or any viviparous shark)?
In The Meg, scientists discover a living member of this extinct giant shark species.
What is the megalodon?
Protecting shark nursery areas helps increase population recovery — these are called what?
What are shark sanctuaries (or marine protected areas)?
This rare deep-sea species has a long snout and can extend its jaws outward to grab prey.
What is the goblin shark?