Sharks are one of the most feared animals in the world, but they are also some of the most fascinating.
Here are 10 fun facts about sharks:
1. Sharks have been around for over 400 million years – making them one of the oldest groups of fish on Earth!
2. There are over 500 different species of shark living in our oceans today.
3. Sharks range in size from the smallest, the dwarf lanternshark which is only 17 cm long, to the largest, the whale shark which can grow up to 12 m long!
4. Most sharks live between 25 and 30 years but some species can live for much longer – up to 100 years old!
5. Sharks have a unique way of ‘swimming’ by moving their whole body side-to-side instead of using their tails like other fish do. This helps them swim faster and also allows them to make sudden turns when they need to catch prey.
6. Shark skin is covered with tiny tooth-like structures called dermal denticles which help reduce drag when they swim and also act as protection against predators or injuries.
7. Sharks have a very keen sense of smell. They can smell blood in the water from up to a mile away.
8. Sharks have razor-sharp teeth. They can have up to 3000 teeth in their mouths at any given time.
9. Sharks are constantly growing new teeth. They can go through up to 30,000 teeth in their lifetime.
10. Sharks are not man-eaters. In fact, there are only about 60 recorded attacks on humans by sharks each year. Most of these are not fatal.
