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    Sharks
    Sharks
    Sharks
    Ebook191 pages3 hours

    Sharks

    By Andrea Gibson and Robin Carter

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    About this ebook

    This eBook is best viewed on a color device.

    At last, a fantastically illustrated new addition to the classic nature guide series.

    A Golden Guide to Sharks, like all the books in the series, presents a general overview of its subject in accessible prose, illuminated by detailed illustrations of the species discussed. Its directness enables it to be appreciated by young and mature audiences alike.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateFeb 25, 2014
    ISBN9781466864863
    Sharks
    Author

    Andrea Gibson

    Andrea Gibson designs jewelry, layouts, and cards and teaches at shops, workshops, and Scrapbook shows.

    Read more from Andrea Gibson

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      Book preview

      Sharks - Andrea Gibson

      INTRODUCTION

      This book is for everyone who has ever been impressed by sharks. It is for the student interested in their biology; for divers curious about their distribution and impressed by their demeanor; and for the layperson concerned about the notorious reputation of these oceanic predators.

      As well as serving as a guide to the identification of the shark families and species, this book aims to dispel media myths and misconceptions and to unravel the mystery of these quiet and powerful creatures.

      Sharks also aims to educate readers as to the importance of the shark, which is so abused in today’s world of exotic cuisine and overfishing. In this role we are supported by one of the few international charities dedicated to saving these magnificent creatures – the Shark Trust.

      Established in 1997, the Shark Trust promotes the international study, management, and conservation of sharks, skates, and rays.

      The Trust seeks to coordinate the efforts of other shark groups and organizations and to influence and reverse the factors which are threatening shark populations. The Trust also works with commercial fisheries, recreational sea anglers, divers, yachters, and all those who want to ensure the future survival of these fascinating but threatened animals.

      Priority action promotes the effective management of sustainable fisheries, improving records on catches, landings and trade, habitat management and increasing public and private-sector awareness.

      To find out more visit www.sharktrust.org

      www.sharktrust.org

      WHAT IS A SHARK?

      Unlike most vertebrates, whose bodies are supported by a skeleton of hard bone, sharks have a softer, more flexible skeleton of cartilage, or gristle. In zoological terms they are fish of the class Chondrichthyes. Together with their close relatives the rays, sharks constitute the subclass Elasmobranchii. Their more distant relatives the chimeras form the subclass Holocephalii.

      There are more than 420 known species of shark and more than 550 species of ray. Since their appearance in the fossil record more than 350 million years ago, sharks appear to have changed little, however, they have undergone several dramatic changes. These have enabled the sharks to inhabit niches in every ocean and sea, from the icy polar waters to the tropical seas and even freshwater bodies.

      Equipped with superb senses, capable of extremely rapid movement, and armed with rows of lethally sharp teeth, the typical shark is the top predator in its food chain.

      But these very qualities that have shaped the shark for survival have also led to a downturn in its fortunes.

      Most people see the shark as a ruthless killing machine; a fearsome predator prowling the seas, ready to attack and eat anything that it encounters – including people. This exaggerated image, promoted and glorified by a sensationalist media, has earned the shark a truely undeserved reputation as one of nature’s true villains.

      Today, people are clearing the seas of sharks, leaving many species struggling for survival in an environment they had mastered long before humans walked the earth.

      In truth, the majority of shark species are harmless, unless provoked. Most are small, placid creatures, and as the phrase goes, you are more likely to be bitten by a New Yorker than a shark.

      ADAPTATIONS

      Though there are exceptions to the rule, most sharks follow a common body plan. The typical shark has a streamlined, spindle-shaped body with a muscular tail and fins. These propel it efficiently and rapidly through water, suiting its lifestyle as an active predator at the top of the oceanic food chain.

      The streamlined body plan is typical of pelagic (open-water) fish species. The Mackerel Sharks, family Lamnidae, are typically stouter than other species, their natural design exhibiting almost perfect hydrodynamics. The snout is pointed and laterally flattened, and the tail is designed to give maximum thrust and minimum drag. Mackerel Sharks are the pinnacle of shark design, and the Shortfin Mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) is probably the fastest-swimming of any shark, reaching speeds of well over 50 mph (80 km/h).

      TAIL-FIN SHAPE

      The tail fin, otherwise known as the caudal fin, in addition to being a key identifying feature, can also reveal a lot about the shark’s lifestyle and swimming habits.

      TIGER SHARK

      A strong upper lobe delivers power for cruising or for sudden, short sprints. This shark relies on this high maneuverability while hunting for its varied diet of turtles, fish, stingrays, and other shark species.

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