The following are 10 Cool Shark Facts in a question and answer format.
1.How many shark species are there?
There are 512 described and 23 un-described shark species (according to Wikipedia)
2. Are sharks vertebrates?
Yes, sharks are vertebrates. Vertebrates have a backbone or spinal column. In the case of sharks, they have a spinal column made out of cartilage, not bone as in other vertebrates like bony fishes.
2.What is a group of sharks called?
A shoal (this applies to other fish as well)
3. What are baby sharks called?
Pups!
5. Are sharks endangered?
At least 143 species are on the IUCN red list with 210 more as data deficient (meaning we haven’t studied them closely enough to know how endangered the sharks are). But all sharks are in danger of becoming endangered due to overfishing, pollution, and other threats facing our oceans.
6. How many millions of years old are sharks?
The first sharks appeared 440 million years ago.
7. Which shark is the smallest? Which shark is the largest?
The smallest shark is the dwarf lantern shark, which grows to 7.9 inches (20 cm)
The largest shark is the whale shark, which can grow up to 60 feet (but is found to be 18-33 feet long on average)
8. Are sharks found in freshwater or saltwater?
Most sharks are found in the ocean in saltwater, but the river sharks are found in fresh and brackish water (slightly salty water) in Asia and Australia. The bull shark is unique in that it can live both in fresh and saltwater in tropical rivers worldwide.
9. Do sharks have swim bladders?
No, unlike the bony fishes, sharks don’t have swim bladders but the oil in their livers help them stay afloat.
And the final cool shark fact is:
10. How often do sharks eat?
It varies greatly between shark species. A great white shark can go a month without food after a full meal.
Also see: 10 Not-so-Scary Tiger Shark Facts
10 Interesting Great White Shark Facts
and Great White Shark’s Adventure at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Fun quiz on sharks from NatGeoKids
The diversity of shark sizes graphic