sharkfish

~Shark vs. Fish~

~SHARK~	~FISH~
Skin: Sharp, Rough Dermal Denticles	Skin: Slippery, Overlapping Scales
Often: Multiple Rows of Teeth	Often: Lack of Teeth
6th Sense: Ampullae of Lorenzini	Lack of Ampullae
Skeleton: Cartilage Only	Skeleton: Cartilage and Bone
Can Only Swim Forward	Swims Forward and Backward
5-7 Uncovered Gills Slits	Single Covered Gill Slit


Dermal Denticles	Fish Scales

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Above: Leaf Dragon Fish

Fish Anatomy / Fish

Above: Bony Skeleton of a Cod Fish

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Shark Anatomy / Sharks / Image Gallery

Above: Cartilagenous Skeleton of a Cat Shark

Shark Anatomy - Click and Learn / Images

Learn More About Sharks / Shark Game / Sharks, Skates and Rays

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Michael deGruy: Shark Expert

National Geographic Film: "Sharks - On their Best Behavior"

National Geographic Shark Website

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~Interesting Facts About Sharks~

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Chondrichthyes
Subclass: Elasmobranchii
Superorder: Selachimorpha

* There are about 350 different types of sharks, but researchers think there are other sharks that haven't been discovered yet. Each year, 3-5 new types of shark are discovered.

* The feisty dwarf shark is as small as your hand, while the gentle whale shark can be as large as a school bus!

* A shark is one of the best hunters in the world. Even their little pups go out hunting for food immediately after being born.

* A shark's hunger can be satisfied with one good meal, which can last a long time, because a shark uses little energy to swim. Some sharks hold food in their stomachs without it being digested. If they eat a big meal, it can last three or more months!

* Sharks do not sleep. They might seem as if they are sleeping but they are really just resting!

* Sharks are strong, healthy creatures. No other living thing can take better care of itself than a shark can! Like humans, sharks are at the top of their food chain.

* Sharks never get cancer! Their cartilage is being studied with the hope of developing anti-cancer drugs. Shark liver oil is supposed to bring health benefits to humans.

* Sharks have been around for more than 300 million years! They were around before dinosaurs and have survived every mass extinction on our planet.

* Sharks' bodies are heavier than the sea, so if they stop moving they sink. If they want to stay afloat, they must keep moving!

* Just as humans rule the land, sharks rule the sea! Many people fear sharks, because they hear stories about sharks killing and eating humans. Actually, most sharks are not dangerous!

* More people are killed by bee stings or falling coconuts than by shark attacks.

* More than 90% of people who are attacked by sharks survive the attack.

* Sharks attack more men than women. No one knows why this is the case.

* The bull shark is the only shark that can live in both fresh and salt water. A bull shark may have been responsible for a mysterious shark attack that happened in a creek in New Jersey back in 1916.

* The largest shark teeth found belonged to Carcharodon Megalodon and are 6 inches long. This shark is extinct (thankfully) and lived more than 4.5 million years ago.

~Shark Photo Gallery~

Above: Carcharodon Megalodon - Extinct Giant!!!

"It would be like a locomotive with a mouth full of butcher knives."

- Hooper describing C. megalodon to Brody (from the novel 'Jaws' - 1974)

Above: Megalodon Tooth (6 inches)

"At a length of 50 feet or more, it was probably the most terrifying predator that has ever lived . . . Given the fearsome reputation of the comparatively small Great White Shark, we are fortunate that Megalodon is extinct."

- Richard Ellis & Dr. John McCosker from 'Great White Shark' - 1991