School Of Sharks

Do you care about sharks? Why or why not?

♡ Whale Shark Wednesday!!

In European countries fish and chips is made with shark. The Spiny Dogfish is a species of shark that is critically endangered in parts of it's range, such as the North Atlantic. The US commercial Dogfish fishery is considered sustainable based on a study done in 2018.

Sharks are crucial to a healthy ecosystem, however with their late sexual maturity and small number of pups per litter they are at high risk for overfishing and even extinction.

Did you know? The tail fin of a shark is called the caudal fin! The shark most known for this fin is the Thresher Shark. These sharks can have upper caudal fins that are the length of their body!

As humans, we NEED to do better. This trash greatly effects sea life, including sharks. A lot of this breaks down into microplastics (microscopic plastics), which are then ingested (eaten) by sea life, including those we eat.

@Sharks4Kids The Epaulette Shark can walk on land much like a lizard! It's specialized pectoral and pelvic fins are very muscular!

Tell us in the comments! 👇️ What is your favorite shark fact? 🦈

Picture credit: Smithsonian ocean

A shark's skin is made of tiny "scales" called denticles! They're smooth to the touch unless you rub them backwards, then they feel like sandpaper! Each species has unique denticles. Engineers study them to help develop technology that's more hydrodynamic!

My personal favorite shark is the Epaulette shark! This species has evolved the ability to "walk" on land with specialized fins.

Did you know? Sharks have survived five mass extinctions, yet about 1/3rd of them are endangered due to human actions. In the last 50 years the global shark and ray population has fallen over 70%

Picture Credit: Smithsonian Ocean

Sharks have a bad rep for being big and scary. But take a look at this - the smallest shark species is the Dwarf Latern Shark. This little guy can fit in your hand and lives over a thousand feet deep. Not so scary after all.

@CashDaniels09 Absolutely! Can you send me the details?

@School_OfSharks Would you like to help me save sharks in Costa Rica? It’s as simple as writing a letter to ask for sharks to be labeled as wildlife!

One of the most iconic shark species is the hammerhead shark. But did you know there are actually 10 different hammerhead species? Unfortunately, most are listed as endangered or critically endangered.

The longest living vertebrate is a species of shark! The oldest living Greenland shark was found to be about 272 years old, but they are believed to live even longer. These slow-moving sharks live deep in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Image credit: Gerard Soury

This is the Epaulette shark! They have specialized pectoral and pelvic fins that allow them to "walk" on land much like a lizard!

Happy #InternationalWhaleSharkDay !! Did you know? Each Whale sharks' pattern is unique! Much like a human's fingerprint.