Interesting Facts About Sharks: Discover the Truth
Thanks to numerous horror films, sharks are the best-known marine predators. Movies depict them as monsters which are terribly dangerous for people, creating thus a bunch of myths that bear a slight relation to reality. Learn the most interesting, cool and even weird facts about sharks, dispel your many long-held misconceptions and find something surprising for you. We'll dive into some of the most fascinating information about sharks, so you can gain a greater understanding of these animals and their important role in the ocean ecosystem. Besides, you may not want to miss the part with the legendary megalodon.
Top 10 Amazing Facts
- Megalodon became extinct about 2.6 million years ago. This legendary predator used to top the food chain for a while but failed to survive for many reasons.
- Sharks can produce a special substance to block nociceptors. With this ability, they can simply ignore the pain.
- Sharks can sense the Earth's magnetic field and skillfully use it as a compass to find their way around.
- You'll never meet a famous white shark inside an aquarium — they simply die in captivity.
- Sharks' teeth can vary dramatically in number depending on species: it's only 30 for some sharks, whereas others have up to 3 thousand!
- The whale shark is the largest living fish but has tiny teeth of no more than six millimeters. It poses no danger to a human.
- The lifetime of the Greenland shark can last between 250 and 500 years! It the longest-lived vertebrate known. These long-livers inhabit nearshore areas of the Arctic.
- Megalodon was the largest shark species that ever existed on Earth. It could reach up to 30 meters in length.
- Sharks grind their teeth to communicate with each other.
- Some sharks can hunt seagulls: it picks up speed, jumps out of the water and snatches a gaping bird.