Sharks are the most dangerous animals living in the aquatic environment. They have a keen sense of smell and are able to smell elusive odors within a few miles. The same can be said about their vision, which is several times superior to human. In addition, the jaws of an adult individual of medium size can contain from 10 to 20 thousand teeth, which in strength can be compared with rods made of steel. In this article we will get to know the biggest sharks and find out some interesting facts about these animals.
Shark species
In nature, you can find a huge variety of shark species: from the small Mozambican (40-60 centimeters in length) to the huge whale (up to 20 meters long). Each species has its own characteristics and differs from the others in numerous features. Which of them are considered large? As a rule, the body length of such sharks exceeds a value of 3 meters, which is already incommensurable with the proportions of the body of an adult. And it’s almost impossible to imagine a twenty-meter shark, because you won’t be able to fit it even in a standard school office! Consider the types 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 among the rest, so it is easy to remember what a fox shark looks like. A distinctive feature is the tail fin of the fish, elongated in the upper part. Fox sharks are classified as large, since their length reaches 5-6 meters, however, 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 sea plankton or small 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 "eat" even a small bird, lagging behind its flock.
Bull Shark
A blunt shark is considered extremely aggressive, most often attacking a person. According to statistics, about two-thirds of people who died from shark attacks were killed by representatives of this species.
Despite this, blunt sharks are not the largest sharks in the world. The length of their body varies from 3 to 4 meters, and the mass reaches 400-450 kilograms. This species eats fish, aquatic and terrestrial animals. Among these fish, cases of cannibalism have been reported.
It is noteworthy that blunt-nosed sharks can tolerate low salinity of water. For this reason, they will not die in fresh water and will quietly continue their existence in it.
Hammerhead shark
A unique look that differs from the rest in a peculiar shape of the front of the body, which in appearance resembles a hammer. At the same time, the head of the fish is almost flat, which gives it some advantages when hunting. Unlike blunt sharks, hammers do not attack humans, although they are considered the more dangerous of the largest sharks.
The body length of the hammer fish reaches 5-6 meters, and the mass is 400 kilograms. Various animals living in the ocean and fish, including sharks, become prey for hammers. Despite the habit of living alone, females of this species breed 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 territories it is completely prohibited by law.
Mako Shark
The body length of mako (black-nosed) 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 is often called "toothy torpedoes." Despite the rather large body mass, adult individuals are able to reach speeds of up to 55 kilometers per hour in order, for example, to catch up with their prey.
In some internal organs of mako sharks heat is retained, due 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 stands out the accelerated metabolism of black-winged makos. Due to the large energy consumption for fast movement and heat preservation, representatives of this species often need to get their own food and eat it more than other sharks require. So, daily makos consume almost 5% of their body weight.
Like most sharks, black-winged makos are predators that actively hunt their prey. Their diet includes shellfish, various species 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 mass is 200-250 kilograms. They are able to travel long distances, and the average speed of their movement is 1.6 kilometers per hour.
Unlike mako, blue sharks are cold-blooded. For this reason, although they are capable of diving to a depth, they swim there much more slowly than the black-winged makos 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 eat even the decomposing corpses of various marine life and birds.
Blue sharks do not have enemies in nature, but they often attack people. Representatives of this species are found in all the oceans of the planet and along the shores 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 appreciated for its beauty and quite 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 the mass is approximately 150-200 kilograms.
Sand sharks feed on various species of fish. They are also able to eat squids and even stingrays. This species is considered non-hazardous to humans.
The peculiarity of sand sharks is that they are able to survive in human conditions. So, representatives of this species feel great in oceanariums and volumetric aquariums.
Tiger shark
Tiger sharks are also sometimes called leopards, which can be explained by their unusual color. The length of their body reaches 5-5.5 meters, and the mass is 500-650 kilograms. Tiger sharks are a frequent answer to the question: "What is the largest shark?" Obviously, they do not have the largest sizes, but, despite this, tiger sharks are attributed to the largest modern species.
These predators have a good appetite. In addition, their diet is extremely diverse. They eat fish, 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 indefinitely by humans.
Representatives of this species are popular among people engaged in fishing. Some of the largest sharks are valued for unique skin patterns 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 average values: their body length is 4-5 meters, and body weight - 600-1100 kilograms. Therefore, the largest white sharks are very popular and often become heroes of horror films.
White sharks feed on various fish and inhabitants of the water depths, among which one can distinguish seals and various birds, sea lions and turtles. The jaw of an adult contains 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 intentionally hunt people, preferring them, for example, walruses or seals. Today, this species of fish is threatened with extinction.
Whale shark
The largest by far is the whale shark - a unique representative of the class of cartilaginous fish. In addition, it has the largest sizes not only among sharks, but also among all fish that live on Earth. Consider the largest shark in the world in its habitat.
The body size of the whale shark is truly amazing: length - 15-20 meters, and weight - up to 1-2 tons. Despite this, animals are not dangerous. Being predators, they mainly feed on plankton and small marine inhabitants, especially crustaceans. It is worth noting that their jaws contain up to 16,000 teeth located in more than 300 rows.
In the photo of the largest shark, you can see its unique color. The body of the whale shark is covered with a beautiful pattern, which can be seen in real life. Many people deliberately dive under water to touch the massive body of representatives of this species, because they represent absolutely no danger. Slow and calm, these fish never behave abruptly and aggressively.
The largest fish at the same time are the rarest and are in serious danger of extinction.
Megalodon
One of the largest sharks in the world - megalodon - has become 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 or even 50 tons. Unfortunately, this type of shark has never been recorded in the photo, however there are a huge number of images made on the basis of assumptions about the appearance of this monster. In the picture above, megalodon is shown next to several killer whales, whose body length is approximately 9-10 meters.
Megalodons were ferocious and dangerous predators. They preferred large prey, attacking which was not difficult for them. According to scientists, this species was widespread and posed a real threat to the inhabitants of the oceans.
The sizes of the largest megalodon sharks are comparable to the sizes of previously considered cetaceans. However, having disappeared about 3 million years ago, they have given way to the largest whale sharks in the world today.
The image of megalodon is widespread in modern culture and is sometimes a caricature of a great white shark due to the similarity of the structure of their bodies.
Finally
So, in this article we met with the most dangerous of all the inhabitants of the oceans. Despite all the precautions, attacks of various species of sharks on humans are not uncommon. However, humanity must protect these representatives of the animal world, as many of them can soon disappear from our planet forever.
According to today's statistics, the oceans are studied only 5-10%. Therefore, it’s even hard to imagine what kind of representatives people have to learn about.
For this reason, the study of wildlife and especially marine life is an extremely useful and interesting occupation, to which thousands of scientists today devote their lives. We wish you success in this difficult, but very exciting business!