Monday 21 January 2013

Types Of Sharks

Source(google.com.pk)
Types Of Sharks Biography
To wrap it up, let's look at some of the types of sharks we've been discussing.
ANGEL SHARK:
•flat body like a stingray -- you can tell the shark is not a ray because the pectoral fins are not attached to the head.
•They bury themselves in the sand or mud with only the eyes and part of the top of the body exposed.
•They are bottom feeders, eating crustaceans like clams and mollusks and fish that are swimming close to the ocean floor
 
BASKING SHARK:
•second largest shark (about 30 feet long and 8,000 pounds)
•filters plankton from the water using "gill rakers"
BLACKTIP REEF SHARK:
•does well in captivity so is often found in aquariums (which is why we have so many photos of it)
•about 6 feet long.
•grey with a black tip on its fins and white streak on its side
 
BLUE SHARK:
•about 12 feet long.
•sleek, tapered body
•among the fastest swimming sharks and can even leap out of the water
•diet consists mostly of squid, but it will eat almost anything
•considered dangerous - have attacked people

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BULL SHARK:
•third most dangerous to people
•can swim in salt and fresh water and have even been found in the Mississipi river.
COOKIECUTTER SHARK:
•a small shark (less than 2 feet long)
•eats perfecty round chunks out of living whales and dolphins by clamping its teeth extremely sharp teeth onto them.
GOBLIN SHARK
•very uncommon and likely the strangest looking shark (rarely seen the photos were actually taken in 1909)
•pale, pinkish grey skin with a long pointed snout (it looks a bit like a sword on top of its head)
•lives in very deep water.
•found off the coast of Japan in 1898... until that time it was believed to have been extinct for 100 million years
GREAT WHITE SHARK:
•more attacks on people than any other type.
•averages 12 feet long and 3,000 pounds.
•unlike most sharks, it can lift its head out of the water.

HAMMERHEAD SHARK:
•unlikely to attack people, but considered dangerous due to its predatory nature and its size
•eyes and nostrils are far apart, giving it a "hammerhead" appearance and allowing the shark to extend the range of its senses.

MAKO SHARK:
•fastest swimmer (43 miles per hour)
•known to leap out of the water (sometimes into boats

NURSE SHARK:
•bottom dwelling shark
•thin, fleshy, whisker-like organs on the lower jaw in front of the nostrils that they use to touch and taste
•hunt at night, sleep by day
•common at aquariums

SANDTIGER SHARK:
•the sandtiger shark has very pointed teeth -- the better to eat you with (if you're a fish!)
•10 feet long
•predator (carnivore)
•nocturnal (hunts mostly at night)
•Babies:  The mother shark has two uterus.  Many sharks begin in the uterus, but the strongest one in each uterus eats all the others before they are born.
 
SPINY DOGFISH SHARK:
•the most abundant shark
•3 to 4 feet long
•slightly poisonous spines (not very harmful to people)
•used by people for food and research.
THRESHER SHARK:
•10 foot tail (1/2 as long as the body) which it uses to herd small fish
TIGER SHARK:
•second most attacks on people
•eat anything!  (have been found with boat cushions and alarm clocks in their stomachs)
WHALE SHARK:
•biggest shark and biggest fish
•it isn't a whale (whales are mammals, not fish)
•grow to 45 feet long and 30,000 pounds, but average about 25 feet long
•filters plankton from the water using "gill rakers"

WHITE TIP REEF SHARK:
•probably the most common shark encountered by divers and snorkelers on tropical reefs
•about 3 feet long on average though it can be as big as 6 feet.
•dark grey with a white tip on the first and sometimes on the second dorsal fin as well as the tail lobes

Photo by Yvonne

WOBBEGONG SHARK:
•about 8 feet long, but virtually harmless.

•lives in Australia and Pacific coastal reefs

•lies on the bottom of the ocean waiting for fish to come near.

•filters food into its mouth with worm-like projections on its head

•razor-like teeth

•yellow, brown and gray camouflage colouring.

ZEBRA SHARK:
•small, gentle shark that can be kept in an aquarium with other fish
•tail is half its length
Types Of Sharks
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Types Of Sharks
Types Of Sharks

Tiger Shark Classification

Source(google.com.pk)
Tiger Shark Classification Biography
Justification:
This assessment is based on the information published in the 2005 shark status survey (Fowler et al. 2005).
This large (>550 cm), omnivorous shark is common world wide in tropical and warm-temperate coastal waters. It is a relatively fast growing and fecund species. The Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is caught regularly in target and non-target fisheries. There is evidence of declines for several populations where they have been heavily fished, but in general they do not face a high risk of extinction. However, continued demand, especially for fins, may result in further declines in the future. 
Geographic Range [top]
Range Description: The Tiger Shark has a worldwide distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas. Randall (1992) described its distribution as follows: 'In the western Atlantic it ranges from Cape Cod to Uruguay, including the Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda and islands of the Caribbean; in the eastern Atlantic it is found on the West African coast from Morocco to Angola; it remains unknown from the Mediterranean Sea, but there are reports from Iceland and the United Kingdom (these were probably based on vagrants transported there during a warm year by the Gulf Stream) (Compagno 1984). It occurs throughout the Indo-Pacific region from the northern Red Sea to South Africa and east through the islands of Oceania and northern New Zealand (though not yet reported from Easter Island); in the eastern Pacific it ranges from southern California to Peru, including the Galapagos and Revillagigedo Islands.'
Little is known of the Tiger Shark's depth range. Clark and Kristof (1990) illustrate a female Tiger Shark of about 250 cm total length (TL) from a photograph taken from a submersible in 350 m of water off Grand Cayman. The species is also encountered in very shallow water.
Countries: Native:
American Samoa (American Samoa); Angola (Angola); Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Australia; Barbados; Belize; Benin; Bermuda; Brazil; Cameroon; Cayman Islands; Colombia; Congo; Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Côte d'Ivoire; Cuba; Djibouti; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Ecuador; Egypt; Equatorial Guinea; Eritrea; Fiji; French Guiana; French Polynesia; Gabon; Gambia; Ghana; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Guam; Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Guyana; Haiti; Honduras; Iceland; Indonesia; Jamaica; Kenya; Kiribati; Liberia; Marshall Islands; Martinique; Mauritania; Mexico; Micronesia, Federated States of; Montserrat; Morocco; Mozambique; Nauru; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Niue; Norfolk Island; Northern Mariana Islands; Palau; Panama; Papua New Guinea; Peru; Pitcairn; Puerto Rico; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Samoa; Saudi Arabia; Senegal; Sierra Leone; Solomon Islands; Somalia; South Africa; Sudan; Suriname; Tanzania, United Republic of; Timor-Leste; Togo; Tokelau; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; Tuvalu; United Kingdom; United States (Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaiian Is., Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia); United States Minor Outlying Islands; Uruguay; Vanuatu; Venezuela; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.; Wallis and Futuna; Western Sahara; Yemen
FAO Marine Fishing Areas: Native:
Atlantic – eastern central; Atlantic – northeast; Atlantic – northwest; Atlantic – southeast; Atlantic – southwest; Atlantic – western central; Indian Ocean – eastern; Indian Ocean – western; Pacific – eastern central; Pacific – northwest
Range Map: Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.
Population [top]
Population Trend:  Unknown 
Habitat and Ecology [top]
Habitat and Ecology: Randall (1992) reviewed a large number of studies on the feeding behaviour of Tiger Sharks, including Norman and Fraser (1937), Springer (1938), Whitley (1940), Bigelow and Schroeder (1948), Gudger (1948a,b, 1949), Kauffman (1950), Ikehara (1960), Springer in Gilbert (1963), Gohar and Mazhar (1964), Clark and von Schmidt (1965), Randall (1967, 1980), Tester (1969), Fujimoto and Sakuda (1972), Bass et al. (1975), De Crosta et al. (1984) and Stevens (1984). He concluded that this species has probably the most diverse diet of any shark species. Prey includes numerous bony fish, sharks, rays, turtles, sea birds, seals, dolphins, sea snakes, cephalopods, crabs, lobsters, gastropods and jellyfish. They consume carrion and readily take baited hooks. Tiger Sharks also have a propensity to consume ?garbage? of human origin, including plastics, metal, sacks, kitchen scraps and almost any other item discarded in the sea.
The age and growth characteristics of Tiger Sharks have been investigated by a number of authors, most notably De Crosta et al. (1984) and Branstetter et al. (1987). Working in the north-west Hawaiian Islands De Crosta et al. (1984) estimated that a Tiger Shark with a precaudal length of 200 cm is about five years old and that one of 300 cm is about 15 years old. Branstetter et al. (1987) used similar techniques to De Crosta et al. (1984) to produce growth curves for Tiger Sharks from the coast of Virginia and the northern Gulf of Mexico. They estimated that initial growth was very fast, but that the rate of growth of very large animals is 5?10 cm year-1; thus, individuals of 400?450 cm TL would be 20?25 years of age. Branstetter et al. (1987) gave a maximum age of 45?50 years. Smith et al. (1998) estimated the intrinsic rate of increase of a tiger shark population at MSY to be 0.043 year-1. Randall (1992) summarised that the size at maturity of male Tiger Sharks is 226?290 cm TL and in females 250?350 cm TL.
The Tiger Shark is the only species of the family Carcharhinidae that is ovoviviparous. Litter sizes are large, with between 10?82 embryos reported from a single female. Mean litter sizes of 30?35 have been reported (Tester 1969, Bass et al. 1975, Simpfendorfer 1992). The size at birth is 51?90 cm TL (Randall 1992, Simpfendorfer 1992). Clark and von Schmidt (1965) gave the gestation period as 13?16 months. There have been few other estimates of gestation period. Mating is reported to take place in the Northern Hemisphere in spring, with pupping the following spring to summer. Mating occurs before full-term females have given birth to young, indicating that litters are produced every two years or less. In the Southern Hemisphere Stevens and McLoughlin (1991) and Simpfendorfer (1992) have reported pupping during summer. The young are very slender with a flexible body and caudal fin; they swim with an inefficient anguilliform motion. Branstetter et al. (1987) concluded that they are probably very vulnerable to predation at this stage, especially by sharks, including their own kind.
Tagging studies, particularly in the western Atlantic, have provided the best information on the movements of Tiger Sharks. Randall (1992) provided data from a range of studies that indicated that two patterns of movement are observed in tagging studies. The first of these is where the release and recapture positions are close together, suggesting that the individual may have remained in a relatively small area. The other pattern observed is where the individual is recaptured a long distance from the release site, often after a short period at liberty. The maximum reported distance between release and recapture for a Tiger Shark was approximately 3,430 km. 
Systems: Marine
Threats [top]
Major Threat(s): Tiger sharks are caught in numerous fisheries world wide, both as target species and bycatch. Products utilised from Tiger Sharks include flesh, fins, skin, liver oil and cartilage. Although not considered of high quality, the mercury content of this shark's flesh is lower than other large carcharhinid species (Simpfendorfer pers. data). The fins, skin and liver oil from Tiger Sharks are all considered to be of high quality and can fetch good prices. The high value of products has increased commercial fishing pressure on this and similar species worldwide, especially since demand for high quality shark fins has increased. Catches of Tiger Sharks in directed shark fisheries have been documented for a number of areas including the western Atlantic (e.g., Kleijn 1974, Hoey and Casey 1986, Berkeley and Campos 1988, Bonfil 1994, GSAFDF 1996), Australia (Stevens et al. 1982, Lyle et al. 1984), India (Burman 1994), Papua New Guinea (Chapau and Opnai 1986), Brazil and Taiwan (Province of China) (Bonfil 1994). Commercial catches are also taken in many other areas but few records of their capture exist. Tiger Sharks are not typically the target species in these fisheries but are bycatch in fisheries targeting other shark species. Catches of Tiger Sharks in these fisheries are often not reported directly, but observer data on the species composition can be used to make estimates.
In the US East Coast/Gulf of Mexico shark fishery tiger sharks are the third most common large, coastal species caught in the fishery, accounting for 12?20% of the catch (GSAFDF 1996). However, they account for only 5% of the landed weight as they are considered of limited value since finning is not allowed in this fishery. Most of the individuals caught in this fishery are juveniles less than 150 cm FL, although large animals are also taken (S. Branstetter pers. comm.).
In northern Australia gillnet fisheries catch Tiger Sharks, although the mesh sizes used have precluded the capture of significant numbers (Lyle et al. 1984). In northern West Australia a number of fishers have used heavy drumlines to fish for large sharks. Tiger Sharks have been a major target of these fishers, with catches reaching 116 t (live weight) in 1994/95 (Simpfendorfer and Lenanton 1995). All operators who have targeted Tiger Sharks in this area have now ceased fishing.
Tiger Sharks are taken as bycatch in a variety of fisheries including tuna and swordfish longline fisheries (e.g., Anderson 1985, Berkeley and Campos 1988), particularly those operating on, or close to, the continental and insular shelves. They are also taken in trawl fisheries (e.g., squid, fish and crustacean trawl fisheries), although normally in small numbers. There are few records of Tiger Shark catches for these fisheries. Tiger Sharks are undoubtedly caught in tropical and subtropical artisanal fisheries. However, gear limitations in these fisheries probably precludes the capture of large numbers, especially of larger individuals. There are few published data on artisanal fishery captures and it is not possible to quantify catches or the impact that these may have on Tiger Shark populations.
Tiger Sharks are caught by recreational fishers. The species is one that has International Game Fish Association (IGFA) status, the current record being 596 kg. Catches have been documented off the east coast of the United States, Australia and South Africa (e.g., Stevens 1984, Anderson 1985, Casey and Hoey 1985, Pepperell 1992, Anon. 1994). Estimates of total catches of shark by recreational anglers off the east coast of the United States (including the Gulf of Mexico) in 1978 are 10,300 t (Casey and Hoey 1985) and in 1980 over 15,000 t (Anderson 1985). Estimates of the species composition of the recreational catch indicates that Tiger Sharks represent 0.8?2.1% of the catch. Based on these estimates of species composition, the recreational Tiger Shark catches in 1978 and 1980 would have been approximately 10?20 t and 15?30 t, respectively. More recently recreational catches have declined, and tagging and release has become more common. In Australian waters Pepperell (1992) estimated that Tiger Sharks represented approximately 10% of the sharks captured by IGFA associated clubs off the New South Wales coast during the 1970s. This increased to approximately 20% during the 1980s, due to increased targeting. Size composition data provided by Pepperell (1992) indicate that the bulk of the catch was 80?130 kg. Stevens (1984) estimated that Tiger Sharks comprised 17% of the recreational catch by anglers off New South Wales between 1979 and 1982, based on catch sampling.
Tiger Sharks are undoubtedly caught by recreational fishers in many countries, and not only those documented above. Recreational fishing is likely to account for significant mortality in Tiger Shark populations in coastal waters of some countries.
The large size, and propensity to occasionally attack humans, makes Tiger Sharks a target of shark control programmes, particularly those operating in tropical areas (e.g., Queensland (Paterson 1990) and Hawaii (Wetherbee et al. 1994)). However, they are also taken in other programmes (e.g., South Africa (Dudley and Cliff 1993) and New SouthWales (Reid and Krough 1992)). These control programmes use either large mesh gillnets and/or heavy lines to capture large, dangerous sharks. The theory behind the programmes is that fishing reduces the abundance of the large, dangerous sharks and so reduces the probability of attacks in areas where there has previously been relatively high records of shark attacks. There is conflicting evidence as to whether these control programmes are effective in reducing the abundance of Tiger Sharks. Evidence from Paterson (1990), Simpfendorfer (1992) and Dudley and Cliff (1993) indicates that Tiger Shark abundance has either remained steady, or even increased in ?meshed? areas. Catch rate data from Hawaii indicated that shark control programmes did reduce Tiger Shark abundance (Wetherbee et al. 1994). These data suggest that at best the use of shark control programmes to reduce population levels of Tiger Sharks may be of only limited value.
Tiger Shark populations face a variety of threats. These include not only a large range of directed and bycatch fisheries, but also problems such as the ingestion of human garbage. The high value of some products (especially fins) from Tiger Sharks has resulted in increased fishing pressures on this species in recent years. Musick et al. (1993) noted a precipitous decline in Tiger Sharks off Virginia, USA, due to both recreational and commercial harvesting between 1980 and 1992. There is anecdotal evidence that in areas where catches in commercial fisheries are high, abundance has been significantly reduced (e.g., Taiwan (POC) (Bonfil 1994)). There is some evidence from shark control programmes that localised catches of Tiger Sharks do not affect abundance.
The widespread distribution of this species increases the likelihood that it will survive increasing levels of exploitation in certain areas. Its growth and reproductive rates are also relatively high, making the levels of mortality that the Tiger Shark can survive higher than for many other species of shark. Additionally, juvenile survivorship increases where adult Tiger Shark populations have been depleted by fisheries and hence predation of young is lessened. However, the overall life history constraints to increased mortality applicable to all sharks must also be borne in mind when considering the conservation status of this species. 
Conservation Actions [top]
Conservation Actions: There are no specific conservation or management measures in place for the Tiger Shark. However, in the US Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico this species is managed under a Fisheries Management Program (FMP) introduced in 1993. It is included in the large coastal group which has an annual quota of 1,285 t. This group is dominated by Sandbar Shark (C. plumbeus) and the Blacktip Shark (C. limbatus). A new FMP was introduced in early 1999, placing Tiger Sharks in the ridgeback large coastal group which have a quota of 622 t and a minimum size of 137 cm fork length. A court placed an injunction on these new regulations pending further court action by commercial fishers
Tiger Shark Classification
Tiger Shark Classification
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Tiger Shark Classification
Tiger Shark Classification
Tiger Shark Classification
Tiger Shark Classification
Tiger Shark Classification

Tiger Shark Embryos

Source (google.com.pk)
 Tiger Shark Embryos Biography
Next time you run out of food in the fridge ask yourself this, would you eat a human? If you were in a plane crash in the middle of a desert, would you eat the person who sat next to you, or would you brave the supply of frozen muffins and green omelettes they serve as sky “food”? For your own survival, would you kill and eat your brother or sister?
Some species of shark do indeed feast on their siblings, not just out in the deep blue sea, but while still inside the uterus. Now that’s taking sibling rivalry to a whole new level.
Sharks reproduce in three ways – they either species lay eggs and leave them to hatch, or they lay eggs and let them hatch in the uterus and then give birth to them, or they have a live births. Feeding a growing embryo while it develops in the womb is quite a challenge for sharks, but they have some crazy methods to do it.
Some species, such as the lemon shark, turn their yolk sac into a placenta by attaching it to the wall of the uterus. Salmon shark embryos eat a stream of unfertilized eggs while their in the womb, providing them with plenty of nummy nutrients. Nurse sharks and sand tiger sharks, at the tender age of not even born yet, swim about and eat their siblings. From the 20 or so pups that start life, only two remain – natural selection starting early *they grow up so fast*
This video from the documentary Animals in the Womb has incredible footage of sand tiger shark embryonic cannibalism.

Why do two pups survive, and not just one? Sharks have two wombs, at least, their uterus has two separate branches that keeps the two pups apart. Apparently having their own room helps curb their aggression, who’d have thought?
Tiger Shark Embryos
Tiger Shark Embryos
Tiger Shark Embryos
Tiger Shark Embryos
Tiger Shark Embryos
Tiger Shark Embryos
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Tiger Shark Embryos

Tiger Shark Food

Source (google.com.pk)
 Tiger Shark Food Biography
The tiger shark loves warm waters and is found in most tropical and temperate regions. Other than a ready supply of food, tiger sharks don't have a lot of other requirements for their abode. Tiger sharks are found both on the surface and in depths of up to 1,150 feet (350 meters) [source: Knickle] and they're found in lots of different waters, including river estuaries and harbors. Most often, though, this shark is found in murky waters in coastal areas. These areas yield a large number of things to eat, and as you might have picked up, the tiger shark likes to eat.
The tiger shark will travel a long way for a bite to eat; one study found that the tiger shark swam about 30 miles to 40 miles (48 km to 64 km) a day looking for food [source: Tennesen]. It also doesn't appear that tiger sharks have a pattern of particular feeding places. Rather, the sharks seem to visit sites on a somewhat irregular basis, returning to feeding sites anywhere from every two weeks to every 10 months [source: Tennesen].
It's sometimes hard for biologists to separate the tiger shark's love of food from other factors when it comes to location. For example, it's largely believed that tiger sharks migrate to warmer locations when it gets cold, but biologists aren't sure if the tiger sharks are following their prey, or if they just prefer a warmer climate [source: Heithaus]. The tiger shark is generally thought to be a nocturnal animal, but in some cases, it's been spotted feeding during the day. In Hawaii for instance, tiger sharks are not nocturnal because they frequently eat monk seals, which are diurnal.
Tiger sharks are primarily solitary hunters, and you may only see a group of these sharks when there's a large amount of food nearby. And while tiger sharks spend a lot of time eating and looking for food, at some point, they have to make other tiger sharks. Tiger sharks are ovoviviparous, which means that shark eggs are fertilized and carried within the mother, as opposed to animals that lay eggs that hatch outside.
When tiger sharks mate, the male usually bites the female on her back and fins to hold her in place. When females have been examined in the wild, scientists usually find the remnants of this mating ritual in the extensive scarring on the female's back. Females only bear young about once every three years, perhaps because of the significant pain associated with breeding.
Females then carry for a term of 14 to 16 months [source: Knickle]. Although the average litter size is around 40, tiger sharks can give birth to anywhere from 10 to 80 pups [source: Ritter]. Once born, however, a tiger shark is on its own, even though it's fairly tiny and grows slowly. Juvenile tiger sharks have an elongated tail which makes it difficult to swim very fast. The tiger markings that are typical of younger tiger sharks may be a way to blend in with the waves near the coast, so that larger predators don't find them.
Baby tiger sharks better watch out -- larger tiger sharks have been known to eat them! Read on to find out all the other zany things that tiger sharks eat.
Tiger Shark Food
Tiger Shark Food
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Tiger Sharks Diet

Source(google.com.pk)
Tiger Sharks Diet Biography
As a group, sharks and batoids eat almost anything: fishes, crustaceans, mollus
cs, marine mammals, and other sharks.

   
2. While some sharks are probably not very selective feeders, certain sharks eat some foods more than others. For example, hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna spp.) are known for eating stingrays; bull sharks eat other sharks; and smooth dogfish (Mustelus spp.) eat crabs and lobsters.
    
3. Tiger sharks have been called "garbage cans of the sea" because they feed opportunistically on both live food and carrion. Prey includes bony fishes, other sharks, marine mammals, seabirds, and invertebrates. Tiger sharks are ecologically important predators of sea turtles and snakes.
   
4. Many sharks prey most often on the weak, inferior members of the population. They select the weak, ill, injured, or dying prey because it is easier to catch

Just about any animal in the ocean can be a meal to a shark. Great whites prey on California sea lions, wobbegongs eat shrimp, and tiger sharks feed on several species of sea turtles.   

RETURN TO TOP 
 
FOOD INTAKE

1. In a zoological environment, a shark eats about 1% to 10% of its total body weight per week. Studies on sharks in the wild show similar food intake. In other words, a 2.75 m (9 ft.) sand tiger shark weighing 131kg (289 lb.) may eat just 2 to 6 kg (4-13 lb.) a week.

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METHODS OF COLLECTING AND EATING FOOD

1. The characteristic teeth of each species are adapted to the particular species' diet. The teeth may be serrated or smooth. Most are used for seizing prey, cutting, or crushing. For sharks, plate-like triangular teeth are the most common shape.    

Each shark species has a unique tooth pattern.  

2. Because of the biting force exerted by sharks (some up to 8,000 pounds per square inch) and the lack of a hard jaw bone to anchor the teeth in place, teeth often break off while sharks are feeding. They are replaced by teeth in reserve rows. The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) can replace a tooth in about eight days.
   
3. Most predatory species of sharks seize, grasp, and tear food. A shark may circle its prospective prey and may even bump it with its snout or pectoral fins.
    
4. A shark's jaws are loosely connected to the rest of the skull at two points. As the upper jaw extends forward from the mouth, teeth of the lower jaw first encounter prey. The lower jaw teeth puncture and hold prey. The upper jaw teeth slice. A shark's short jaws make the bite powerful.    

This lemon shark shows how it can extend its upper jaw allowing it to bite a wider area.   
5. Many species of sharks and most rays are adapted for bottom feeding. Bottom feeders use the upper jaw to help pick up prey items. One example of a bottom feeder, the horn shark has two types of teeth. Front teeth are pointed for grasping and back teeth are flat and molar-like for crushing. Stingrays (family Dasyatidae) and eagle rays (family Myliobatidae) have teeth that are fused into plates.
   
6. Most sharks swallow their food whole, without chewing. Some sharks, however, like Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni) probably grind up food with their back flat teeth.   

Port Jackson sharks have a combination of sharp and flat teeth. Their genus name is Heterodontus, meaning "different teeth". 

7. Another mechanism some sharks and batoids use collecting food is filter feeding.

• Rays in the family Mobulidae (Manta spp., for example), the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus), and the megamouth shark strain enormous quantities of plankton from the water on gill rakers. Up to a ton of food has been found in a basking shark's stomach.

• Whale sharks also filter feed, but instead of using gill rakers, they strain plankton through a spongy tissue supported by cartilaginous rods between the gill arches. Whale sharks can filter 1.5 million liters (400,000 gallons) of water per hour.  

Although whale sharks have thousands of teeth in more than 300 rows, they no longer use them. 

• Filter feeders have reduced, nonfunctional teeth.
• Gill rakers are composed of thousands of tiny teeth, which are periodically replaced as well. When the gill rakers are lost in the basking shark, some believe it will "hibernate" for months until the gill rakers grow back. It is theorized that a basking shark may go four or five months without eating as the gill rakers are replaced.
   
8. Some elasmobranchs are quite specialized for feeding.

• A thresher shark (Alopias spp.) uses the long upper lobe of its tail to corral schools of fish.

• A sawfish (Pristis pectinata) moves its head from side to side and strikes prey with its long rostrum. The sawfish has also been seen using the front of its snout to dig for prey buried under sand.  

Sawfish swing their rostrums back and forth through schools of fish. 

• Nurse sharks (family Ginglymostomatidae) use their thick lips to create suction, effectively pulling their prey from holes and crevices.
• A cookiecutter shark (Isistius spp.) uses suction to attach itself to whales and large fishes; it carves out a core of flesh with its large triangular teeth.
• Pygmy sharks (Euprotomicrus bispinatus) travel 1,500 m (4,920 ft.) up and down from the ocean floor every night to feed. This is equivalent to a human climbing 11 km (nearly seven miles) up and down each day to eat.
Tiger Sharks Diet
Tiger Sharks Diet
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Tiger Sharks Diet
Tiger Sharks Diet



 

Pics Of Tiger Sharks

Source(google.com.pk)
 Pics Of Tiger Sharks Biography
Overview - The distinctive tiger shark lives in both coastal and open seawaters, usually from the surface to around 459 feet. Young members of this species sport black stripes arranged over their otherwise gray backs and sides. These stripes can fade as the shark ages, making it look more like a great white than a tiger shark. Somehow it seems appropriate that this nocturnal, aggressive shark prefers dark, murky waters. It is adaptable, though, and can live in everything from river estuaries to lagoons. Solitary animals, tiger sharks may often be found at their lowest depths during the daytime. When the sun goes down, the sharks then frequently swim upward to higher levels, moving inshore to shallower waters where they make their evening dinner kills.


Feeding Habits - The tiger shark is one lean, mean, eating machine. Each of its teeth is shaped like those found on a circular saw, with a flat and curved hook at the end. A power saw might not even equal this shark’s power, since it can cut through turtle shells with a single bite. Aside from turtles, other prey includes bony fish, conchs, crabs, birds, lobsters, skates, rays, porpoises and even people, if they are unfortunate enough to be around a particularly voracious and brazen tiger shark. This species will also consume flesh from animal carcasses that wash out to sea, such as dead rats, house pets and even farm animals, like cattle.
Cool Fact - Tiger sharks have very wide ranges and may travel thousands of miles between continents.
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks
Pics Of Tiger Sharks


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