What are sharks called?
We used to think of a shark as a bloodthirsty predator,meeting with which for a person means a real death. However, there are approximately 350 species of sharks in the world, and only 27 of them are actually dangerous for humans. It is impossible to list and characterize all species within the framework of one article, but we will tell about the main families and their representatives, as well as their features.
What are sharks
To begin with, consider the main families of sharks.
- Sand sharks are one of the most dangerous species. It occurs in Australia, the Atlantic Ocean, the coast of North America and the African coast.
- Gray sharks are also a dangerous family thatmore than 60 different species. His representatives are often also referred to as mourning, since the meeting with these sharks, as a rule, ends in imminent death.
- Paid sharks are a rare species that occurs only in the Eastern Atlantic, as well as in Japan.
- Herring sharks are considered the most dangerous species, the representatives of which are called cannibals. They live in the marine waters of the southern hemisphere.
- The family of giant sharks is considered harmless to humans. This is one of the largest species that occurs off the coast of China, New Zealand, Japan and Australia.
- Whale sharks also differ in their huge size. This species is found in the tropical zones of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Ocean.
- The family of spiny sharks is endowed with a poisonous spine on the back, which is a great danger to humans. They live in the Atlantic and the Pacific, and also sail to Australia.
- Scallop sharks are deep-sea animals. They are common in the Mediterranean, in the Indian and Pacific oceans.
- Representatives of cat sharks do not differ in size. They live in all oceans and seas.
On the topic, read also our article What seas are found sharks.
The names of shark species and their characteristics
Now we should consider what are called sharks belonging to the above-mentioned families and the most famous in the world.
The family of sand sharks includes two mainspecies, which practically do not differ from each other. The first representative of the family - the Australian sand shark, is called one of the most dangerous all over the world. It has several rows of long sharp teeth, and its length is often almost 5 meters.
The family of gray sharks includes two known andvery dangerous species - bovine gray shark and tiger shark. A bull shark is often called a blunt or shark-bull. It lives in all oceans and often swim in rivers. This species is considered very aggressive and dangerous for humans. The second species is the tiger shark, whose body is covered with characteristic spots that disappear with age. Most attacks on people occur precisely representatives of this species. She has very powerful jaws, which instantly cut into pieces even the largest prey. Therefore, a tiger shark can swallow another shark.
The placental shark resembles a reptile because of a head that looks like a snake's head. It is deep-sea. This species feeds mainly on octopuses.
A large white shark is the most famous representative of the family of herring sharks. The length of her teeth is up to 5 centimeters. This predator is famous for the habit of swallowing its prey whole.
The six-pronged shark belonging to the familycomb-toothed sharks, in length reaches about 5 meters. This species is unique in that it is most like the rest of its prehistoric ancestors. On the topic read our article How does the shark look like.
A shark, called a sea fox,is of great interest to scientists. It is the only species that uses its own tail to extract food. It is the tail that is the main weapon of its representatives, because they have small teeth and relatively weak jaws. With the help of a tail, a sea fox jams the fish, then swallows it.
You will also be interested in our article on What is the largest fish.
