SHARK TRIVIA!

Did You Know . . .

Two thirds of a Shark's brain is used for the sense of smell!

Sharks sense electrical activity using tiny pits around their snout called "ampullae of Lorenzini". When other creatures move their muscles, the electrical activity in their brains can be detected by the Shark! This even allows them to detect flatfish, frantic moving injured prey, not to mention metallic objects (like braces?! Eek!)

Sharks' eyesight is about ten times more sensitive than humans' in dim light.

Most Sharks' eyes roll backwards at the time of biting.

Sharks are part of the group Chondrichthyes which also includes stingrays.

Sharks predate dinosaurs with fossil records over 300 million years old.

The oldest Shark fossil was found off the shores of Lake Erie.

Suntanning Sharks! Basking Sharks measure over 9.1 meters and are known for swimming on the surface supposedly basking in the sun! In reality, they are filtering plankton from the surface (feeding!)

Nurse Sharks! Does that mean there are Doctor Sharks too? Nurse Sharks are slow-moving fish, growing to 4.3 meters, and can pump water over their gills, therefore they do not have to swim constantly.

Scientists recorded a Blue Shark traveling at bursts of speed up to 69 Kilometers per hour!

NO BONES!! Sharks have a boneless skeleton made of an elastic substance (no not like those on your braces!) called cartilage.

WHITE Sharks really are GREAT! They have TWO rows of teeth that grow back, with the second row waiting along the jaw in case one breaks off.

If you are about to get attacked by a shark, do NOT thrash about in the water. DO try to punch the shark in the gills or eyes (sensitive areas) ... this might make the shark think twice about attacking!