© 2012 DORSAL All rights reserved.
© 2012 DORSAL All rights reserved.
Sharks are an apex predator - the top of the food chain. If the sharks go, the whole system gets out of balance. They have been on earth for 450 million years, before the dinosaurs roamed the earth, evolving into the beautiful creatures they are today.
The movie Jaws scared a lot of people although there are on average only 5 fatal shark attacks each year. You have more chance of dying from a bee sting or a road accident than from a shark. 90% of some shark populations have been wiped out.
Sharks belong to the class of Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) and they have many fascinating systems such as the ability to sense electrical currents, and rows of teeth that move forward as the front ones wear out. They also have a nicitating membrane that covers their eyes when they bite or pass close to an object. There are approximately 400 different species of shark.