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Business operating system or "Elephant is stronger or shark"? Who is the biggest on earth? Who is more elephant or shark

A person often asks the question: is he alone in the Universe? Is there life somewhere else or is he completely, completely alone? We don't know the answers. Till. But before you look with bated breath at the stars, you should better look around, because we share the planet with myriads of other creatures, each of which is unique and inimitable in its own way.

The smallest can be seen only with the help of very powerful technology, for others, the person himself can become an annoying, but easily overcome obstacle. It is such large animals that make people stop to once again admire the diversity and bizarre fantasy of nature. Let's do it too.

Blue whale - giant of giants

At this particular historical moment in time, blue whales are the largest animals on earth, in water and in the air. Photos or videos can be impressive, but they don't even come close to conveying their size. On land, these giants may seem somewhat clumsy, but in the water they are unmatched. As for the size, here are just a few facts that will help you feel their scale:

  1. The length of the whale can reach 33 meters. If it's hard to imagine, imagine a nine-story building and add one more floor to it.
  2. The weight of such a giant can be up to 200 tons. For example, the weight of Daewoo Matiz is less than 800 kilograms, that is, the whale is 250 times larger than a small, but still car.
  3. An adult animal burns 1 million calories per day. We would have to eat 500 kilograms of beef chops for this, while a whale costs a ton of krill.
  4. The second largest animal is the elephant, but it weighs about the same as the whale's tongue alone.

This is only a small part of the information about this magnificent animal, but even it allows you to imagine how huge it is.

African Elephant - King of the Pampas

We have already talked about this animal above, but this does not mean that it does not deserve a more detailed description. If blue whales are the super champions of all the elements, then the African elephant conquered only the land, but on the other hand, there is no more massive animal on it. Here are a couple of interesting facts:

  1. Elephant ladies weigh about three tons, their cavaliers - up to five, and the very best can increase up to seven and a half tons of live weight.
  2. The baby elephant is born very tiny - only a centner of weight and a meter of height, but he eats a lot of fatty mother's milk and grows quickly.
  3. The tusks of a hardened male can reach a weight of 100 kilograms each.

Of course, compared to the blue whale, these numbers are not very impressive, but life in the air dictates its limitations. On the other hand, other animals are even smaller.

Giraffe - 6 meters of misunderstanding

It is difficult to imagine the vagaries of evolution that gave rise to these strange creatures with their long legs and a neck comparable in length to them. But you can safely admire the result, if not in the natural environment, then at least in a photo or video. And to make it interesting to admire, here are a few dry statistical facts:

  1. The growth of a giraffe can reach six meters, of which 2 is only the neck. At the same time, they weigh relatively little - 1000-1200 kilograms. Not surprising, given that they are mostly made up of legs and necks.
  2. Despite the fact that the length of the giraffe's neck strikes the wildest fantasies, approaching nightmares, it has as many vertebrae as in the human neck - 7 pieces.
  3. The language of the giraffe is another asset. He can stick it out almost half a meter.
  4. It is difficult to imagine a running giraffe, but he can do it quite well, reaching speeds of up to 55 km / h. Jumping giraffe looks even more phantasmagoric. But at the same time, he can overcome the bar of two meters.

Thus, despite the seeming clumsiness and awkwardness, the giraffe is a strong, hardy and ideally adapted miracle of nature for life in its conditions. Of course, this is not the largest animal in the world, but it is consistently in the top three.

Southern elephant seal - a waterskin with fat

The elephant seal is the largest species of pinnipeds, and the southern branch is much larger than its relatives. They live, as the name implies, at the South Pole, which determined their appearance. In a harsh climate, and even more so in icy (in the literal sense of the word) water, one cannot survive without a thick fat layer that would protect him from this disgrace.

True, because of this, they began to look like wineskins filled with liquid fat, especially when they roll over to the rookery. But in the water they acquire the grace of a bird and the purposefulness of a torpedo. In this regard, these large animals once again confirm that nature does nothing for nothing, adapting each creature to certain conditions. A few basic parameters of these giants:

  1. In length, the male can grow up to 6 meters, having accumulated 5 tons of weight. His spouses are more miniature, their weight is about one ton at 2-3 meters in length.
  2. A newly born baby weighs only 50 kilograms.
  3. There may be several hundred females in the rookery and only a few dozen males who have won the right to be in this paradise.

Fat, clumsy, ugly - in fact, elephant seals - the personification of grace. Under the water. Not surprisingly, this is where they spend 70-80% of their lives.

Ostrich - running bird

It is worth many, many times to thank nature that ostriches and their relatives do not fly. Otherwise, it would be scary to imagine what the monuments and squares of the cities would have turned into, which they would have chosen as their permanent place of deployment. Their passage would resemble a carpet bombardment. And now you will understand why:

  1. The weight of an adult large ostrich can be up to 150 kilograms with a growth of 2.5 meters.
  2. They have a small head, but very beautiful and large eyes. The brain already does not fit well in the head, so it is comparable in size to the eyes.
  3. Ostriches do not know how to fly, but they run excellently: at speeds up to 60 km / h. Even one-month-old chicks can reach speeds of up to 50 km / h, catching up with their mother.

Ostriches are beautiful and elegant birds. But still, it's good that they don't fly.

Liger - from a change in the places of the terms, the amount changes

There are three types of cats: domestic, small wild and big wild cats. In this case, the liger could be called a very large wild cat. Not surprising, because they are much larger than both the lion dad and the tigress mom. Such marriages are quite rare, but any zoos or parks are proud of children.

This hybrid looks like a lion with soft, blurry stripes, but this is not what is interesting, but their size. Here are some facts:

  1. Liger Hercules weighs 400 kilograms, twice ahead of dad and his relatives.
  2. The largest liger, marked by the Guinness Book of Records, weighed 798 kilograms. It can easily be divided into 4 lions.
  3. A descendant from a tiger father and a lioness mother is called a tiger, but it does not have such an impressive size.

4 liligrens are now growing up in the Novosibirsk zoo - the eldest girl Kiara and newborn triplets. They were born from the marriage of a ligitsa and a lion, creating a very rare and unique variety. It is still difficult to say whether they will be able to surpass their predecessor parents.

Grizzly is not a teddy bear at all
The grizzly is an Americanized version of our native brown bear. But, having moved abroad, he acquired impressive claws, a bad temper, and besides, he grew up a little. See for yourself:

  • On average, the growth of a grizzly ranges from 2.2 meters to 2.8.
  • The weight is about half a ton.
  • Some, the most hardened, reach a height of 4 meters. Weight and bad temper increase proportionately.
  • Bear loves an aggressive manicure: the length of his claws is about 15 centimeters, twice as long as human fingers.

Now you know what is the largest animal on our planet. Unfortunately, most of the champions listed in our article are firmly established in the Red Book. If humanity does not change its attitude towards them in the near future, then they risk moving to Chernaya. Our grandchildren are at risk to learn about them: from photos and videos.

Go to section heading:Sharks

Family: Cetornidae = Giant sharks

Genus: Cetorhinus = Giant sharks

Elephant Shark = Giant Shark

L.A. BELOVA

In the winter of 1939, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, not far from the city of Provincetown in the US state of Massachusetts, a sea-bleached skeleton of a huge animal was found. Its length was about 7.5 m. And although the huge skull looked like a fish skull, four truncated legs, or rather, "bones" from them, and a long elongated spine were puzzling. Soon there was talk of the "sea serpent" all over the coast.

But, as it turned out, years this one belonged to a giant shark (Cetorhinus maximus) - the second largest of the currently preserved sharks. In length, this fish can reach 14 m and weigh up to 10 tons. This is only slightly less than that of the "record holder" - the whale shark (Rhincodon typus). The pectoral fins of the giant shark are large and powerful - they serve as a kind of "bearing planes" that do not allow the heavy front half of the body of the fish to sink down when swimming. When the body of a dead giant shark is washed ashore and the soft tissues decompose, the remains of these fins remain next to the elongated skull and long spine. And if it was a male shark, then a couple of meter-long pterygopodia can also be found near the skeleton. As a result, it seems that the remains of some mysterious quadruped lie on the shore.

Very large specimens of a giant shark are rare, but even “small” individuals of this species look impressive - their average length is 4–8 m, and their weight is from 3 to 6 tons. Despite its awesome appearance, the giant shark is a harmless creature. This fish feeds on plankton, which it collects by cruising at the surface of the water at a speed of two to three knots (3–5 km / h) with its mouth wide open and filtering through the gills every hour up to 2000, and according to other sources - up to 6000 tons of water. The teeth of a giant shark are small, no more than 0.5 cm. But the gill slits are huge - they cover the head from the dorsal side to the throat, and when the fish sticks out its gills, it seems that its head is about to break off from the body. And through the open mouth, you can see the inside of the gill cavity. Each gill arch bears 1000–1300 long horny gill filaments. chinks on which planktonic organisms settle. The stomach of the giant shark is very large - in large specimens, about 1 ton of plankton mass was found in it.

Some juveniles of the basking shark have a laterally compressed snout hanging over the mouth like a trunk, and the head is flattened at the sides, giving the fish a resemblance to an old elephant with sunken cheeks. Such fish were called the "elephant shark", and for a long time they were considered representatives of a separate species. In adult giant sharks, the snout is bent to a lesser extent, and the resemblance to an elephant disappears.

The giant shark lives in moderately cold and temperate waters of both hemispheres. Individual specimens are also found here - off the coast of the Kola Peninsula and even in the White Sea. In summer, giant sharks actively feed or drift slowly, sticking their dorsal and caudal fins out of the water, as well as the tip of their snout. For this, the British call them basking shark - a shark basking in the sun. These fish are kept singly or in small groups.

Almost nothing is known about the reproduction of the giant shark. The smallest fish of this species ever caught was 165 cm long. According to indirect data, it can be judged that these sharks are ovoviviparous and bring 1–2 cubs, and the “pregnancy” lasts at least 3 years.

In winter, when the number of planktonic organisms drops and the water temperature becomes low, basking sharks are almost invisible. Many researchers believe that at this time, the energy expenditure of swimming to collect plankton would be much higher than the shark would be able to get from food. Therefore, these fish are probably inactive during the winter, which allows them to economically use their fat reserves accumulated in summer. They lie passively on the ocean floor in such a position that the current provides the flow of water through the gills. But it is not known how things really are - maybe the fish simply migrate south and stay far from the coast.

Fat reserves are deposited mainly in the liver, the weight of which can be up to 20% of the total weight of the fish. Because of this oil, used for technical purposes, giant sharks have long been hunted along the Atlantic coast of Europe. Seeing an animal grazing on plankton fields, hunters approached it in boats or small vessels and threw harpoons at it. When it became known that shark liver oil contains more vitamins than the classic "fish oil" - cod, the demand for giant sharks increased dramatically. Especially a lot of sharks were caught during World War II. Then the boom passed, but the stocks of these amazing fish were undermined. Now the giant shark is rare and is listed in the International Red Book ...

The second largest of the existing sharks again scares the Italians.

Yesterday, April 22, in the afternoon, two vacationers on the Italian coast were “lucky” to see one of the largest sharks on the planet with their own eyes. A giant shark (Cetorhinus maximus) swam between the island of Gallinara and the city of Albenga. According to eyewitnesses, the giant "jaws" moved in the direction of the port of Loano, in Albengo. The elephant shark has already become interested in a specialized center for the study of cetaceans: its specialists are checking how much a specimen that has appeared on the coast can pose a danger to humans.

Giant elephant shark is the second largest of the sharks now preserved on Earth and is inferior in size only to the whale. This species belongs to the category of endangered. Its laterally compressed snout sometimes hangs over its mouth, like a trunk, and its laterally flattened head makes the shark look like an elephant. The mass of such a "fish" can reach 10 tons, and the length is 14 meters. Fortunately, huge individuals are extremely rare, but even small representatives of the species, from 4 to 8 meters long and weighing up to 6 tons, are not a sight for the faint of heart. The giant shark is prone to a sedentary lifestyle, its speed of movement is 3 - 5 km / h. Sometimes in places of accumulation of plankton, representatives of this species gather in small flocks. A few gaping-mouthed elephant sharks cruising the surface can strike fear into anyone. But ichthyologists reassure: giant sharks are not dangerous to humans, because they are not predators and feed exclusively on plankton. Their stomach can hold up to a ton of plankton, but their teeth do not grow more than 5 mm.

The length of the elephant shark seen yesterday on the Ligurian coast did not exceed 4 meters, that is, it had a rather miniature size. Although eyewitnesses hardly thought so. On the other hand, this is not the first time that basking sharks have appeared in Italy. And tour operators in the entertainment program, in addition to clear waters and golden beaches, fit to include the opportunity to see the endangered species of giant sharks in their natural habitat.

July 13th, 2015

How many unusual and previously unknown for me personally exists even in such a popular topic as SHARKS. Well, it would seem, sharks yes sharks. There is white, there is reef, tiger, whale - who does not know about them. But in fact, there are many sharks that many people really do not know about. Well, for example, offhand:, but here they even exist, not to mention the relic

But today I will tell you about one more shark, which I learned about just now. Yes, that's just about the one in the photo.

The elephant shark-ghost (Callorhinchus milii) (or or the Australian Callorhynchus) has a unique appearance - nature has awarded it with such an outstanding "nose" that it would not be easy to confuse this fish with any other inhabitant of the marine element. Spectacular elephant shark (Elephant shark), also called elephant fish and Australian ghost shark, belongs to the chimera order and is closely related to other shark species and seahorses.

As a habitat, an unusual fish has chosen the waters of the South Australian and New Zealand coasts. It rarely catches the eye of people, because it prefers solid depths - 200-500 meters. It is the ocean floor that acts as a shelter and a table for this extravagant representative of the underwater world.

Photo 4.

The length of the elephant shark, or ghost shark, is from 70 to 120 cm. From below, its body has a silver-gray color, reminiscent of the color of foil, and its back with fins is covered with brown spots and stains, which serves as a good disguise for it.

The amazing organ, for which the elephant shark got its name, is a growth on its chin and strangely resembles a trunk. Nature does not give gifts just like that - especially such non-trivial ones: it is obvious that the trunk of this fish has its own purpose. And, as it turns out, very important! After all, he is directly involved in the search for mollusks, crustaceans and larvae living on the ocean floor - the favorite food of elephant sharks.

Photo 5.

Radiating a gentle silvery glow, the ghost shark slowly swims above the very bottom, moving its trunk from side to side, deftly using it both as a locator and as a shovel. The picture of a shark working on the extraction of food resembles a sketch from the everyday life of an underwater treasure hunter, who carefully examines the bottom with the help of special equipment.

Photo 6.

But how does an elephantine ghost shark get out of the situation in conditions of zero visibility - at night or in bad weather? After all, hunger is not an aunt - it can overtake both in troubled waters and in pitch darkness.

It turns out that even in conditions of increased complexity, the ghost shark is not threatened with death from exhaustion, because the most prominent organ replaces its vision. Moreover, not only the shark's trunk is involved in the search for food: on an equal footing with it, in the process of obtaining larvae and other small invertebrates buried in the ground, the tail of the fish, which under normal conditions is used as a steering wheel, also takes part. On the multifunctional tail nestled a set of cells capable of producing electrical impulses at a frequency of 80 times per second.

Photo 7.

The trunk of the ghost shark, in turn, is equipped with other cells that are sensitive to changes in the electric field. Catching the distortions occurring in the field with her chin, she receives reliable information about the features of the surrounding landscape. Thus, the elephant ghost shark is a complex mechanism for efficient foraging, consisting of a flashlight tail and a sensitive chin camera.

By the way, the picture that appears in the head of an elephant shark is distinguished by a detailed drawing of nuances and even the presence of color, so it is much more reminiscent of a landscape than a dry drawing. Such abilities for night "vision" allow her to easily find food at the bottom even in darkness. The biologists, inexhaustible in invention, decided to complicate the task to the extreme for the shark by burying the larvae deep into the sand - but in this case, she did an excellent job.

If the elephant shark chooses deeper places for living, then with the approach of spring, it migrates to coastal bays, in shallow water - to mate and lay eggs. Eggs of the elephant shark are contained inside yellowish-brown horn capsules about 25 cm long.

After about 8 months, fry hatch from the eggs laid in the coastal sand - no larger than 10-15 cm in size. The offspring of the elephant shark grows extremely slowly - they need at least 5 years to reach maturity.

Despite the fact that in some areas of New Zealand and South Australia, where the elephant shark lives, it is an object of fishing (its white fillet is actively used in local cooking), it is not threatened with extinction.

Perhaps the reason is that on the South Australian coast there is an almost 5-kilometer zone where fishing is strictly prohibited and where all representatives of the numerous fish kingdom can freely breed and multiply.

A team of researchers from the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Singapore, led by Byrappa Venkatesh, studied the gene sequence of the elephant shark species Callorhinchus milii, also known as the Australian ghost shark.

The study should help shed light on vertebrate evolution and provides scientists with the first complete analysis of the genome of a cartilaginous fish. This class includes sharks, rays and skates. Together with bony fishes, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, they make up a branch of the jawed vertebrates.

The elephant shark's genome is relatively small: it consists of just under a billion base pairs of DNA (compared to three billion base pairs in the human body). However, this sequence showed scientists intriguing details. For example, the genes of the elephant shark secrete complex phosphoproteins, so their cartilage never turns into bones (as it does in other jawed vertebrates).

Also, these animals lack genes for several key cells of the innate immune system and protein receptors in the adaptive immune system, the so-called "immune memory", which can provide protection against a variety of diseases. This finding suggests that the adaptive immune system evolved in jawed vertebrates gradually over time.

The elephant shark's immune system contains T cells that can destroy cells affected by viruses, but they do not have auxiliary T cells that regulate the overall immune response to infection.

One of the most notable features of the elephant shark's genome is its incredibly slow rate of evolution - the animal now looks much the same as it did 420 million years ago. In fact, these creatures have changed over hundreds of millions of years even less than the "living fossil" coelacanths. This slow rate of evolution is explained by introns in the genome. C. milii. In vertebrates, these introns are embedded in thousands of DNA records and include their own splicing instructions. In most invertebrates (for example, tunicates), the evolution of introns is much faster. The scientists also noted that the opportunity for mutation accumulates in the genomes of invertebrates: thus, the development of "spineless" is faster.

According to researchers, the genome of the elephant shark is closest to the DNA of the first jawed vertebrate that lived on the planet more than 450 million years ago and gave birth to many modern animals, including humans. The elephant shark is important for understanding the development and evolution of this distant ancestor, as well as all modern species.

The work of scientists is described in detail in an article published in the journal Nature.

But that's not all. It turns out the Elephant Shark is the only shark with COLOR VISION!

The eyes of sharks make a strange impression: dull and inactive, they are at the same time cold and meaningful. The unblinking gaze of a shark inspires primal horror and paralyzes the will. Previously, it was believed that sharks were blind, but this is not entirely true.

The shark eye has a peculiar structure: on its back wall there is a retina, consisting of only rod cells that perceive the movement and contrast of light and dark.

The shark eye does not contain cone photoreceptors in the retina, therefore it is not able to distinguish colors and is poorly adapted to fix fast movements. This is partly compensated by a significant number of rods - cells that perceive weak light. In addition, behind the retina in many species of sharks there is a shiny silvery membrane (tapetum lucidum), which reflects the light that has passed by the photoreceptor cells back to them and thus increases the light sensitivity of the shark's eye, which especially affects depth and in muddy water.

The sense of smell of sharks is so perfect that a few drops of blood that have fallen into the water excite them at a distance of several kilometers. Feeling the prey, the excited shark begins to move in zigzags - alternately turns the right and left nostrils to determine the direction of the smell and localize its source. Thirty meters before him, sharks are already beginning to be guided by vision. If the shark's nostrils are plugged, it will swim past the prey, even if it is in front of its eyes.

The vision of sharks is black and white, perceiving only the tone of color, if you want to attract the attention of a shark, dress in white or black, take a metal balloon or something shiny with you. And then the attention of sharks is guaranteed to you.

The only shark with color vision is the elephant shark (callorhinchus milii).

Elephant shark - belongs to the class of cartilaginous fish. This species, one of the most ancient representatives of this systematic group, appeared about 450 million years ago. Elephant sharks live in continental shelf zones off the coast of Australia and New Zealand at a depth of 200 to 500 m. Adults at the age of three to four years migrate in shallow water to bays and estuaries. There, at a depth of 6–30 m, the female lays two fertilized eggs every week for two to three months. After six to eight months, small sharks appear, which leave the warm shallow water and go to the depths. Therefore, during the life of elephant sharks, they encounter different habitats - first with full colors of light, and then with a darkened and monotonous one. Scientists believe that it was living in different conditions at different periods of life that led to the formation of color vision in them.

The retina contains two types of photoreceptors - rods and cones. Rods contain only one light-sensitive pigment, and therefore do not participate in color vision. The second type of photoreceptors are cones. They already contain three types of photosensitive pigments. This feature allows the eye to perceive colors. Each type is responsible for color perception in a certain part of the spectrum - shortwave, mediumwave and longwave. S-type cones are sensitive to the short-wavelength part of the spectrum (violet-blue region). M-type cones - to the mid-wave green-yellow part of the spectrum. L-type cones - towards the long-wavelength part of the spectrum (in the yellow-red region).

More recently, the genome of elephant sharks has been completely deciphered thanks to a special project in which Professor Hunt also took part. Moreover, according to him, this is the first representative of the class of cartilaginous fish, the genome of which is completely decoded.

Based on the data obtained, scientists were able to isolate the genes encoding different light-sensitive pigments of rods and cones:
the Rh 1 gene encoding rod pigment;
three genes encoding cones sensitive to the middle part of the spectrum (yellow-green);
· genes Lws 1 and Lws 2 encoding pigments sensitive to the long part of the spectrum (yellow-red).

According to Professor Hunt, surprisingly, pigments sensitive to the short-wavelength part of the spectrum (violet-blue) were not found in the elephant shark. But in its desire to perceive colors, this species found a way out. According to Professor Hunt, these sharks have invented a unique model of color perception, when the long-wavelength receptor perceives short wavelengths as well.

So it's safe to say that elephant sharks have trichromatic vision and perceive light in all regions of the spectrum.

The perfect killing machine

The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -

The oceans have become home to sharks - aggressive and voracious creatures, terrifying many marine life and people. Nature "provided" them with the sharpest teeth, a powerful streamlined body and a "Nordic" character. But it turns out that there are species that look at which you can’t believe that these are sharks, and their behavior is not “shark” at all ...

Carpet Shark or Bearded Wobbegong

Agree, she does not look like a shark at all. These bottom marine animals, common in warm waters, grow to a length of just over a meter, but sometimes three-meter individuals are also found. The body of the wobbegong is flat, expanding towards the head with a rather unsympathetic snout, inexpressive unblinking eyes, small teeth and skin growths resembling a beard. With them, the carpet shark "combs" the seabed, looking for food - crabs, shrimps, mollusks, echinoderms and small fish. The mottled skin allows the bearded wobbegong to be well camouflaged on the bottom, blending in with corals and algae.

Interesting fact. Almost all shark species need to move in order to breathe. And wobbegongs can breathe without moving. These are immobile animals. Consequently, they burn fewer calories, so they need little food.

Carpet sharks are not dangerous to humans, although you should not touch them or grab them by the tail - they can bite.

fox shark

Its other names are "sea fox" or "sea thresher". The most prominent part of this shark's body is its large tail. She needs it not at all for beauty or for the convenience of swimming, but for hunting. Seeing the fish, the fox shark begins to circle around them, waving its tail and driving the fish into a dense flock. Then the shark dives down the “fish pile”, positioning its tail up, and strikes it with force on the “potential dinner”. The speed of the tail at this moment is 80 km / h, so the fish that fell under it have no chance of escaping. Hence the name - "sea thresher". The shark is very voracious, so it quickly begins to grab a stunned fish. If its stomach is already full, and the fish killed by the tail is still on the surface of the water, the fox shark regurgitates part of the eaten fish, and begins to devour the fish still floating on the water. Here is a vivid example of boundless greed! The fox shark can also hunt live fish, even jumping out of the water. This often does her a disservice, as a careless shark often manages to catch its prominent tail on fishing tackle.

Elephant shark or gigantic (giant) shark

This giant with a laterally compressed body and a head with a short trunk grows up to 10 meters in length and weighs more than 4 tons. The mouth of this shark is so large (up to three meters in diameter) that small teeth are completely invisible. It would seem that having such a mouth, you can easily eat large animals. But no. The elephant shark only eats plankton. She, slowly swimming with her mouth open, pumps a huge amount of water with plankton into it, then filters the water through the gills, and swallows the plankton. Her stomach can hold up to a ton of food.

The giant shark has another name - "basking shark", because it loves to swim on the very surface of the water, exposing its powerful body to the warm sun. The gigantic shark feeds especially actively in summer and spring, and in the cold season, when plankton becomes smaller, it either feeds on the fat reserves of the liver, or descends to great depths (up to 1 km) in search of plankton.

The liver of this shark is 1/5 of its weight, fat is considered very useful for humans, and meat with bones has been used in humans. Therefore, these giants are massively destroyed. Too bad, because they are completely harmless.

Hammerhead shark

The hammerhead shark is one of the largest sharks (from 5 to 7 meters) and one of the oldest fish on our planet (over 25 million years old). Its weight can reach 350 kg. These sharks live in warm seas.

This shark has a very unusual head with two lobes located on the sides, on which small eyes and special organs are visible to capture the smell. The hammerhead shark is very voracious and illegible in food: it eats both large animals and its shark relatives.

"Potential food", trying to hide from this predator, burrows into the sand, but in vain. The hammerhead shark catches with its head the impulses coming from their bodies, rushes at them and literally tears the frightened quivering fish out of the sand. The hammerhead shark is also dangerous to humans.

longwing shark

This is a very aggressive and slow shark, common in warm seas. She patiently waits for some prey to fall into her field of vision. And when this happens, for example, a school of fish appears, a long-winged shark begins to greedily grab food. After eating these sharks, many half-eaten animals or fish swim on the surface of the bloody water.

She does not disdain human flesh either. For example, in the 40s of the last century, a ship with a thousand passengers on board crashed near South Africa. Almost all people who fell into the water were eaten alive by long-winged sharks.

Long-winged sharks circle near sailing ships, grabbing everything that is thrown from them. In the womb of the caught sharks, bales of garbage were sometimes found.

Long-winged sharks are caught by people for their large fins, which are used as food.

cat shark

This spotted, like a cat, small shark (maximum 1m 20 cm) leads a sedentary lifestyle in warm seas, among corals. During the day, she lies motionless, hiding in corals, and at night she goes in search of food. The shark probes the bottom with its antennae and looks for small fish and crustaceans there.

Amazing fact. These interesting animals have adapted to do without water for more than ten hours. This is a feature developed over many centuries, which arose due to the fact that these sharks often leave the tide on the shore.

The cat shark is often kept in aquariums.

largemouth shark

The largemouth shark is one of the least studied marine animals and the rarest fish in the world. It was first discovered in 1976, since then people have discovered only 47 of these animals.

The weight of these five-meter giants with a large head and a meter-long thick-lipped mouth is one and a half tons. They feed on krill, and they do it in a very interesting way. Their mouth has a luminous surface from the inside, which attracts small animals and plankton. This is the largest luminous sea animal! Having captured a huge amount of water and "food", the giant filters the water, and pushes the food with a huge tongue down the throat. If a particularly nimble victim tries to escape from the mouth of a goblash, then small teeth stand in her way, arranged in 23 rows of 300 pieces each!

The largemouth shark has a watery body that prevents it from drowning. But it often becomes the prey of other predators. A clumsy and very slow shark can be attacked by a flock of stone perches, which tear pieces out of its body with their sharp teeth. It can also be swallowed whole by a sperm whale.

saw shark

The saw-nosed shark is a small fish (up to two meters) with a long outgrowth on the nose, equipped with teeth. Why is it needed? To loosen the soil with them, injure the "food" and fight with rivals. Interestingly, broken teeth can grow back. Saw-bearing sharks live in warm seas.

Glowing sharks

Glowing sharks are very aggressive fish, but one thing distinguishes them from their fellows: they do not kill victims, but only bite off the part they like from them and swim back home. Their diet includes whales, killer whales, swordfish, or even brothers, the same luminous sharks. But sometimes they also become someone's dinner. Once a luminous shark was found in the stomach of a large tuna.

These 50 cm sharks live in warm seas. During the day they live at great depths (sometimes up to 3 km), and at night they rise to the surface.

Goblin Shark or Goblin Shark

This ugly shark with a very strange appearance is very little studied. She has an elongated nose and ugly jaws with protruding sharp teeth, which at the right time (during the hunt) can move forward. The brownie shark weighs about 200 kg, and its length is 3.5 m. It is distributed at great depths in all oceans. She has very weak eyesight, and she doesn’t need it at such and such a depth!