What is a shark?

Shark Business | What is a shark?

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Sharks are a group of fish that first appeared around 420 million years ago and that have since diversified into over 500 different species that inhabit every ocean on our planet. They range in size from tiny dogfish measuring only 17 cm to the biggest fish in the ocean, the whale shark, which can reach lengths of up to 12 meters and weigh over 20 tons. Although these fish come in many shapes and sizes they all share unique characteristics that make them a shark.

References:

– Sharks, Skates, and Rays: the Biology of Elasmobranch Fishes, edited by William C. Hamlett. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1999. 515 pp

– Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives. Second Edition. Jeffrey C. Carrier, John A, Musick, and Michael R. Heithaus. CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2012. 596 pp

– Sharks & Rays: Elasmobranch Guide to the World, by Ralf Hennemann. IKAN – Unterwasserarchiv, Frankfurt, 2001. 304 pp.

– Sharks of the world: a fully illustrated guide. Ebert, David A., Sarah Fowler, and Leonard Compagno. Plymouth: Wild Nature Press, 2013. Octavo, laminated boards, 528 pp