What Kind of sharks are there?

Most sharks are fish eaters and have powerful, streamlined bodies to help them swim and catch their prey. There are over 350 species of sharks. Some are just six and a half inches long and others are over 40 feet long. Sharks have the same five senses as people, hearing, smell, sight, taste and touch. Sharks can detect vibrations made by animals moving through the water. Their sense organ is called the lateral-line and runs from the head to tail of the shark. Light only penetraits a short distance beneath the surface of the ocean. For this reason vision is less important than the other senses for aquatic animals. Sharks see well and may have color vision. They don't rely on sight as much as people do. Sharks have a sixth sense that lets them detect weak electrical signals from their prey. These electrical pours are on their head.

There are more safe sharks than there are dangerous sharks in the ocean. Some are huge but gentle like the whale shark and the basking shark. These giant sharks eat plankton. Some sharks are tiny and look like tropical fish like the zebra horn shark .

Only 32 shark species have ever been known to attack people. Of these the most dangerous is the hamerhead, bull shark, tiger shark, and the great white shark. Very little is known about the great white shark as well as the hamerhead shark . All sharks can replace their teeth when they fall out. Another tooth will grow back in as little as a day. Many sharks have loose jaws so they can reach out to the prey. A shark bite can have as up to 18 tons of pressure per square inch.

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