15 Facts About Sharks

Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head.

Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles that protects their skin from damage and parasites in addition to improving their fluid dynamics.

Sharks are caught by humans for shark meat or shark fin soup.

Sharks belong to the superorder Selachimorpha in the subclass Elasmobranchii in the class Chondrichthyes.

Sharks possess a heterocercal caudal fin in which the dorsal portion is usually noticeably larger than the ventral portion.

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Sharks have keen olfactory senses, located in the short duct between the anterior and posterior nasal openings, with some species able to detect as little as one part per million of blood in seawater.

Sharks have the ability to determine the direction of a given scent based on the timing of scent detection in each nostril.

Sharks have eyelids, but they do not blink because the surrounding water cleans their eyes.

Sharks find prey hidden in sand by detecting the electric fields they produce.

Sharks possess brain-to-body mass ratios that are similar to mammals and birds, and have exhibited apparent curiosity and behavior resembling play in the wild.

Sharks are used in popular culture commonly as eating machines, notably in the Jaws novel and the film of the same name, along with its sequels.

Sharks are threats in other films such as Deep Blue Sea, The Reef, and others, although they are sometimes used for comedic effect such as in Finding Nemo and the Austin Powers series.

Sharks tend to be seen quite often in cartoons whenever a scene involves the ocean.

Sharks are a common seafood in many places, including Japan and Australia.

Sharks are considered to be a vital part of the ocean ecosystem.