shark

a kind of fish – mostly salt water (some species (kinds) live in freshwater) – cartilaginous (= tough but flexible substance, bone-like but not bone) – no bones, no ray fins, no scales – a streamlined body with thick fins covered by skin (different species have different fin shapes and tail shapes) body covered by rough skin with sharp short tooth-like scales, some sharks are with pointed snout (= mouth and nose part) and some with broad snout; size: (varies widely) from the smallest (‘dwarf lantern shark’) 7 inches in length and 350-500 grams to the largest (whale shark) 40 feet in length and 13tons (13,000 Kg.) in weight; feeds on (eats) some species eat other fish and sea animals, some (filter feeders) only the very small animal and plant life in the water; lives for, on average, 20-30 years (some species live for about 100 years), depends on the species (kinds); about 370 species (some authorities put the number at 480), found in all the oceans and seas of the world

(Some species are found in freshwater also.)

male ~~ bull

female ~~ female

baby ~~ pup; cub

group ~~ school, shiver, shoal

voice (call) ~~ {Mostly silent, but one species ‘the inflatable draughts board shark’ of  Australia, is known to “bark”  like a large dog.}

Some common sharks are: bull shark, bramble shark, great white shark, mackerel shark, nurse shark, whale shark, nurse shark, zebra shark, prickly shark, angel shark (flat shark), hammer-head shark, goblin shark, dogfish shark, bullhead or horn shark

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