Types of Sharks

Mention sharks and the mind travels back to the all time hit ‘Jaws’ that had every shark lover asking for more. So what is it that has terrified people about sharks yet mesmerized many to study their behavioral patterns for years? There are various types of sharks that have been prowling the depths of the waters and have captured the attention of people at large. Not all sharks are as harmful to people contrary to popular belief. Two of the largest sharks are almost harmless to humans and it is the sharks that are now becoming a victim rather than the humans themselves. Here are some types of sharks listed below.

Common Types of Sharks:

Basking Shark:
This shark is the second largest fish in the world with a whopping weight of around 4 tons. The basking shark grows up to 10 meters in length and are generally migrating species that are found in the deep waters. These are known to swim with open mouths as they are planktonic feeders and their tightly set gills filter the planktons out of the water. Basking sharks are slow swimmers and is found in warm coastal and cool temperate waters. These are also known to stray ashore.
These types of sharks have a conical snout. The gills extend around the top and also the bottom if the head. These generally have small rows of teeth, around 100 per row. These types of sharks are generally bluish-grey to brown in color.

Tiger Shark:
The tiger sharks are known to spend their days beyond the reef edge to the depths of around 150 meters. They are known to go inshore at certain times of the year. The tiger shark is considered to be extremely dangerous as its powerful body helps it to have sudden bursts of speed. This shark has been given the name because of the darks strips that are present on the back. These are often pronounced when they are young and are known to gradually disappear once they turn into adults. The distinctiveness of the tiger shark is in its features such as the broad nose, the slender tail, wide mouth and barrel chest. The tiger shark is also very rare to spot.

Blue Shark:
The blue shark is found in the temperate waters and mainly occurs in the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. Its long slender body and the dark blue color on top is the main reason this blue shark has been given its name. The blue shade varies from side to side, sometimes a deep indigo blue to a cerulean blue. The blue shark mainly feeds on different types of fish and squids. These are also easy to identify as they have large pectoral fins. The length of the blue shark reaches up to 3.8 meters in length.

White Shark:
The white shark is found in the waters of the continental shelf. These inhabit waters that have a depth of 1280 meters and are also found around oceanic islands. Although the white shark has been named white, it is only the underside, which is white. The upper side of the white shark is sometimes grey, blue or black. This torpedo shaped shark grows up to 6.6 meters in length. Reports have suggested that there might be the presence of white sharks that are even longer in length.

Hammerhead Sharks:
The hammerhead shark is found in all warm temperate waters. You are bound to bump into these in the surfaces of the open ocean, They are also known to prefer the inshore waters that have a depth that is less than 20 meters. The hammerhead head is also very easy to identify. They have a very distinctive shape of the head that is compressed with a broad and flattened skull. The hammerhead shark is white underneath and has brownish grey to an olive color on the upper side of the body. These are known to grow to at least 4 meters in length.

There are various myths associated with sharks. Today, scientists are concentrating on these various types of sharks and even tagging them to know about their behaviors and survival. These intriguing creatures have an aura of mystery around them. Although they are also the most feared, humans are known to kill most sharks, either as a sport (in the past) or for their flesh. Unfortunately, survival is the main issue for these mighty creatures today, due to human interference.