The whale shark (Rhincodon typus), which can reach lengths of up to 40 feet (12.2 metres) and weights of up to 20 tonnes (18,000 kg), is the largest species of shark known to exist. Whale sharks are filter feeder that predominantly consumes plankton, tiny fish, and squid despite their large size.
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which can reach lengths of up to 20 feet (6.1 metres) and weights up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kg), is another huge species of shark. They are well-known for their strong jaws and ар teeth and may be found in the coastal seas of all the major oceans.
Additionally, there are really gigantic sharks that are much bigger than great white and whale sharks. The megalodon (Carcharocles megalodon), for instance, was thought to have reached a maximum length of 60 feet (18.3 metres) and a maximum weight of 100 tonnes (90,718 lb) throughout its approximately 2.6 million-year existence.
Although enormous sharks can be mesmerising, it is crucial to remember that they are also integral to their ecosystems and play crucial roles in preserving the stability of the marine food chain.
Details About Sharks
Sharks are an elasmobranch fish species distinguished by their cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven-gill slits on the sides of the skull, and unfused pectoral fins. The sister group of the Batoidea (rays and relatives) is the clade Selachimorpha, which includes modern sharks. According to some sources, the term “shark” refers to any extinct Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) species with a shark-like shape. Examples include hybodonts.
Life History Of Shark
The life periods of sharks vary by species. The majority live 20 to 30 years. One of the longest-living fish is the spiny dogfish, which can live for more than 100 years. Rhincodon typus, a species of whale shark, can live for over a century. In contrast to earlier predictions that the Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) may live for roughly 200 years, a new study discovered that a specimen measuring 5.02 metres (16.5 feet) long was at least 272 years old and had a lifespan of 392 ± 120 years, making it the longest-lived vertebrate ever discovered.
Range And Habitat Of Shark
All oceans contain sharks. With a few notable exceptions like the bull shark and the river shark, which can swim in both seawater and freshwater, they typically do not reside in freshwater. Sharks are widespread up to 2,000 metres (7,000 feet) in depth, and some species can survive much beyond, but they are virtually nonexistent below 3,000 metres (10,000 feet). At 3,700 metres (12,100 feet), a Portuguese dogfish is a shark with the deepest confirmed report.