Research from 2017 revealed that sharks play a key role in regulating the health of coral reefs. Sharks are important to reef conservation Image courtesy Natural History Museum, London, 2018 8. Around 180 species inhabit Australian seas.Ī megalodon tooth next to a tooth of a great white shark. Just like us, sharks come in all different shapes and sizes! On one end you have the whale shark which can be up to 12 metres in length, and on the other you have the dwarf lantern shark which can fit in your hand. It’s a good thing the tooth fairy doesn’t have to dive underwater for sharks, as some species lose up to 35,000 teeth in their lifetime! 7.

Sharks continually shed and replace their teeth The study showed that each shark has their own way of responding to stress and unfamiliar environments, with some more bold than others. In 2016 researchers at Macquarie University discovered that Port Jackson sharks have their own individual personalities, just like us. If you want to find out the science behind this, The Conversation’s article is a great place to start. In 2019 a team of researchers discovered how these sharks create their glowing effects: ‘molecules inside their scales transform how shark skin interacts with light, bringing in blue photons, and sending out green.’Įven though sharks have great vision, scientists believe that sharks are most likely colour-blind. Invisible to the naked eye, the fluorescent green spots are only visible when a blue filter light is shined on them. In 2014 scientists discovered that the elusive chain catshark and swell shark communicate with each other by releasing glowing light from their skin in patterns that are unique to each species and even sex.

Based on fossil evidence, they grew between a whopping 15 to 18 metres, liking weighing more than 25 tonnes – making the great white seem tiny in comparison (6 metres in length and 2.2 tonnes)! 3. Megalodon were the largest sharks that ever livedĭating back 20 million years ago, the megalodon (meaning large tooth) dominated the oceans and were a close relative of today’s great white shark. Not only are sharks older than trees, but they are also one of the only animals to have survived four of the five mass extinctions – now that’s impressive. Sharks have existed for more than 450 million years, whereas the earliest tree, lived around 350 million years ago. As apex predators (animals that are at the top of the food chain), sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by maintaining the species below them in the food chain – helping remove the weak and sick, helping keep the ocean and fish populations healthy.ĭiscover our favourite facts about sharks below! 1. Through their evolution, sharks have shaped our oceans into the rich habitats we know today. If you're enjoying this article, we encourage you to also read our article on animals without a brain.Don't let Jaws ruin your perception of sharks! In fact, they are 100 times more sensitive to light than the human eye. When it comes to fish that do have eyes, their eyesight is extremely sensitive. Abyssal fish with no eyes will need to rely on other senses in order to locate prey, mate and avoid predators.

Eyes: some abyssal species have enormous eyes, while others don't have eyes at all.

Others, have huge sharp teeth that don't fit in their mouth when closed. Some species seem to be made up of merely a head and a large jaw. In fact, sometimes their prey are larger than them. The devlopment of their mouths and stomachs allow them to feed on larger prey. This is an adaption to the lack of food sources.

In fact, many have larger mouths than their bodies.

Mouth: Many abyssal fish species have extremely large mouths in comparison to their bodies.

These fish also have a very soft and flexible body that allows them to float around the deep sea. Many abyssal fish have bioluminescence which allows them to produce light from their organism. This helps them blend into their environmental that is in perpetual darkness.

Body: these fish don't have bright or flashy colors, many lack any color and seem to be transparent.

Another reason for their weak bones is the fact that they cannot receive the nutrients and minerals, such as vitamin D or calcium, due to the lack of sun and the specific water components. This is because there are only weak currents in the abyss zone.

Skeleton: abyssal fish have weak bones as they have no need for stronger bones.

As previously mentioned, these fish share certain characteristics that allow them to survive in the extreme conditions of the abyssal zone.

Facts about lantern fish