Sharks are the most dangerous animals living in the aquatic environment. They have a keen sense of smell and are able to pick up elusive scents from miles away. The same can be said about their vision, which is several times superior to that of a human. In addition, the jaws of an average-sized adult can contain from 10 to 20 thousand teeth, which can be compared in strength to rods made of steel. In this article, we will get to know the biggest sharks and learn some interesting facts about these animals.
Shark species
In nature, you can find a huge variety of shark species: from a small Mozambique (40-60 centimeters in length) to a huge whale (up to 20 meters long). Each species has its own characteristics and differs from others in numerous ways. Which of them are considered large? As a rule, the body length of such sharks exceeds a value equal to 3 meters, whichalready incommensurable with the proportions of the body of an adult. And it is almost impossible to imagine a twenty-meter shark, because it will not be possible to fit it even in a standard school office! Consider the species of the largest sharks, starting with those whose sizes can be called standard - from 3 to 5 meters in length.
Fox shark
This species stands out from the rest, so it's easy to remember what a fox shark looks like. A distinctive feature is the caudal fin of the fish, elongated at the top. Fox sharks are classified as large, since their length reaches 5-6 meters, but it is worth noting that almost half of this length falls on the “tail” of the fish. So, this device has a length of 1 to 3 meters and allows fox sharks to successfully hunt other fish. But representatives of this species are not predators and most often feed on marine plankton or medium-sized fish (for example, mackerel).
The body weight of fox sharks can reach 500 kilograms. In addition, the capacity of the stomach of fish of this species is huge. Sometimes a shark is able to "feed" even a small bird that has fallen behind its flock.
Bumpy shark
The blunt-nosed shark is considered extremely aggressive, most often attacking humans. According to statistics, about two-thirds of the people who died from shark attacks were killed by representatives of this species.
Despite this, blunt sharks are not the world's largest sharks. The length of their body varies from 3 to 4 meters, and the mass reaches400-450 kilograms. This species feeds on fish, aquatic and terrestrial animals. Cannibalism has been reported among these fish.
It is noteworthy that blunt-nosed sharks are able to tolerate low water salinity. For this reason, they will not die in fresh water and will quietly continue to exist in it.
Hammerhead shark
A unique look that differs from the rest by the peculiar shape of the front of the body, which looks like a hammer. At the same time, the head of the fish is almost flat, which gives it some advantages when hunting. Unlike blunt-nosed sharks, hammerheads do not attack humans, although they are considered the more dangerous of the larger sharks.
The body length of the hammerhead fish reaches 5-6 meters, and the weight is 400 kilograms. The prey of hammers are various animals that live in the ocean, and fish, including sharks. Despite the habit of living alone, females of this species breed once every two years and bring considerable offspring.
Due to the infrequent reproduction of representatives of this species, they are classified as rare species of the class of cartilaginous fish. Therefore, the capture of hammers is limited, and in some areas it is completely prohibited by law.
Mako Shark
Mako (black-nosed) body length can reach 4 meters, and weight - 600 kilograms. However, Mako is not famous for its size. This type of shark is considered the fastest in the world, which is why mako are often called "toothed torpedoes." Despite the rather large body weight, adults are able to reach speeds of up to 55 kilometers.per hour, for example, to catch up with their prey.
Mako sharks retain heat in some internal organs, thanks to which they are able to swim an order of magnitude faster than other cold-blooded shark species. However, such warm-bloodedness also has disadvantages. Among them, the accelerated metabolism of black-nosed mako stands out. Due to the high energy consumption for fast movement and keeping warm, representatives of this species often need to find food for themselves and consume more of it than other sharks require. So, every day mako consume almost 5% of their body weight.
Like most sharks, black-nosed makos are predators that actively hunt their prey. Their diet includes shellfish, various types of fish and some other sharks.
Blue shark
This species is one of the most common on our planet. The maximum body length of blue sharks is 4 meters, and the weight is 200-250 kilograms. They are able to cover long distances, and the average speed of their movement is 1.6 kilometers per hour.
Unlike makos, blue sharks are cold-blooded. For this reason, although they are able to dive to depth, they swim there much more slowly than black-nosed mako and cannot stay in the deep layers of the ocean for a long time.
The diet of blue sharks is not special. They feed on fish, marine animals and smaller fish. Sometimes they even eat the decaying corpses of various marine life and birds.
Blue sharks do not have enemies in nature, but oftenattack people. Representatives of this species are found in all the oceans of the planet and along the coasts of each of the continents, with the exception of Antarctica. Therefore, blue sharks are often caught both for industrial purposes and as personal achievements of individual fishermen, because this species is valued for its beauty and rather large size.
Sand shark
Sand sharks have a massive body and a special head structure that helps them hunt (most often in small groups) and “absorb” air from the surface of the water. The maximum body length of sand sharks is 2.5-3 meters, and their weight is approximately 150-200 kilograms.
Sand sharks feed on various types of fish. They are also able to eat squid and even rays. This species is considered harmless to humans.
The peculiarity of sand sharks is that they are able to survive in man-made conditions. So, representatives of this species feel great in oceanariums and large aquariums.
Tiger shark
Tiger sharks are also sometimes called leopard sharks, which can be explained by their unusual coloration. Their body length reaches 5-5.5 meters, and their weight is 500-650 kilograms. Tiger sharks are a common answer to the question, "What is the biggest shark?" Obviously, they are not the largest in size, but despite this, tiger sharks are classified as one of the largest modern species.
These predators have a good appetite. In addition, their diet is extremely diverse. They eatfish, shellfish, squid, crustaceans, birds and even sea turtles. Often things were found in the stomachs of tiger sharks that had been thrown into the ocean by humans indefinitely.
Representatives of this species are popular among people involved in fishing. Some of the largest sharks are prized for their uniquely patterned skin and fins used in the food industry.
White shark
The most famous species among all existing in our time. White sharks are ubiquitous, but do not live in the cold waters of the Arctic Ocean. The sizes of representatives of this species exceed the average values: their body length is 4-5 meters, and their body weight is 600-1100 kilograms. Therefore, the biggest white sharks are very popular and often become the heroes of horror films.
White sharks feed on various fish and inhabitants of the water depths, among which are seals and various birds, sea lions and turtles. The jaws of an adult contain more than 300 teeth, and the maximum speed that it can develop is 48 kilometers per hour. Therefore, great white sharks pose a significant danger to their neighbors in the oceans.
People often call the white shark the most dangerous of all species. However, this is not quite true. These monsters never deliberately prey on humans, preferring, for example, walruses or seals. To date, this species of fish is endangered.
Whale shark
Today's largest is the whale shark - a unique representative of the class of cartilaginous fish. In addition, it has the largest dimensions not only among sharks, but also among all fish that live on Earth. Consider which is the largest shark in the world in its habitat.
The size of the body of a whale shark is truly amazing: length - 15-20 meters, and weight - up to 1-2 tons. Despite this, the animals are not dangerous. Being predators, they mainly feed on plankton and small marine life, especially crustaceans. It is worth noting that their jaws contain up to 16,000 teeth arranged in more than 300 rows.
In the photo of the largest shark you can see its unique coloring. The body of the whale shark is covered with a beautiful pattern that can be seen in real life. Many people deliberately dive under water to touch the massive body of representatives of this species, because they pose absolutely no danger. Slow and calm, these fish never act abruptly or aggressively.
The biggest fish are also the rarest and seriously endangered.
Megalodon
One of the largest sharks in the world, the Megalodon, is now extinct. According to the results of studies of the remains of megalodon, the body length of the fish was 16-17 meters, and the mass reached a value of 40 and even 50 tons. Unfortunately, this species of shark has never been photographed, but there are a huge number of images takenbased on assumptions about the appearance of this monster. In the picture above, a megalodon is shown next to several killer whales, which are approximately 9-10 meters long.
Megalodons were ferocious and dangerous predators. They preferred large prey, which was not difficult for them to attack. According to scientists, this species was ubiquitous and posed a real threat to the inhabitants of the oceans.
The largest megalodon sharks are comparable in size to the previously considered whale sharks. However, having disappeared about 3 million years ago, they have given way to modern whale sharks as the largest in the world.
The megalodon is widely used in modern culture and is sometimes a caricature of the great white shark due to the similarity in their body structure.
In closing
So, in this article we got acquainted with the most dangerous of all the inhabitants of the oceans. Despite all the precautions, it is not uncommon for various types of sharks to attack people. However, humanity must protect these representatives of the animal world, as many of them may soon disappear from our planet forever.
According to today's statistics, only 5-10% of the oceans have been explored. Therefore, it is even difficult to imagine what kind of its representatives people are yet to learn about.
It is for this reason that the study of wildlife, and especially marine life, is an extremely useful and interesting activity, to which thousands of scientists devote their lives even today. We wish you success in thisnot easy, but very exciting!
