Animals & Science

Cookiecutter sharks, so named for their uniform circular "cookie cutter" bite, are not especially dangerous to humans because of their small size. Considered a parasite, these sharks eat pieces of...

The cookie cutter shark is a deep sea shark characterized by a round mouth and long body. It's also known as a luminous shark due to the green light emitted from the shark's belly.

Long-line fishing is a technique used by commercial fishing boats consisting of a main fishing line up to 60 miles long, with many smaller, branching lines with sharp, baited hooks. Their targets...

Shark teeth are some of the most common and popular fossils in the world, and they are used to study shark biology and evolution. Found on beaches throughout the world, they've become a staple in...

If you grew up in the 1970’s you probably saw the movie “Jaws” and the theme may play through your head when you go down the shore. I am from New Jersey and we say “go down the shore”. I will...

There are nine species of hammerhead sharks. They are found in oceans all over the world. The hammerhead is easily identified by its distinctively shaped head, which allows it to hunt prey...

The cookie cutter shark is an unusual-looking shark featuring a long body. These sharks spend most of their time in deep waters, and are generally only caught during the night when they rise to...

Dolphins will fight sharks that are attacking them through a group effort that involves communication and running into the side of the shark. Find out how a dolphin's intelligence can help it when...

Shark fishing is a competitive and exciting sport that many anglers across the world enjoy. The Gulf of Mexico is a popular destination for this sport due to its desirable weather conditions and...

Sharks eat different things depending on the species and the habitat, but they mostly eat bony fish that are found along the shores. Find out how some sharks eat marine animals, such as seals,...

The number of teeth that a shark has can vary greatly among species, with the great white shark using about 50 teeth at any one time. Learn about a shark's constant replacement of their teeth with...

Sharks live in every ocean throughout the world, and their different body types and adaptations allow them to live in many different locations. Learn about the migratory behavior of sharks with...

Sharks have an incredibly heightened sense of smell, and can smell tiny amounts of scents and fluids emitted by prey, including blood, from a great distance. Sharks' noses consist of two nasal...

Sharks are the most fascinating of creatures. They have been around far longer than humans and have an undeservedly bad reputation. They live all over the world, mostly in salt water, and actually...

Sharks are fish with extremely streamlined bodies. They range in size from very small specimens to the huge whale shark, the largest fish on the planet. Most species of sharks survive by eating...

The menacing sight of an open shark's mouth is characterized by many sharp teeth. This leads one to the question: Just how many teeth do sharks have?

As a female shark reaches maturity, it is able to produce certain hormonal chemicals to attract a mate. Each species of shark emits a different chemical, dependent on its genus, though some sharks...

The great white shark is probably the most commonly known of all the sharks. With its gruesome appearance, wide gaping mouth and rows of sharp teeth, it is easy to see why it is considered one of...

They are the menacing creatures of the deep blue sea that instill fear in those brave enough to venture into murky ocean waters, especially after the release of Steven Spielberg's...

Sharks don't have the best reputation and thanks to Jaws, even the tiniest of sharks may inspire a panic attack in an inexperienced diver. Leopard sharks, however, have done nothing to earn the...

Jacques Cousteau once called the oceanic whitetip shark (also known as Carcharhinus longimanus) "the most dangerous of all sharks." In earlier seafaring days, it was known as the "sea dog," prone...

The mako shark is one of the most popular sport fishing targets in the ocean due to the sharks leaping ability, size, and fearsome reputation. The mako is certainly one of the fastest sharks in...

Swimming and surfing in an ocean filled with sharks is possible to do safely. The important thing is to use common sense when doing so. Sharks are at the top of the food chain in the ocean and...

The Greenland Shark is a sluggish and mysterious deep-sea fish. It only lives in the Arctic seas, and unlike many sharks, it can swim at depths of over 6,000 feet. Surprisingly, for an animal...

The thresher shark is a unique fish belonging to the Lamniformes order of sharks. This is the same order to which the Great White belongs, and there are several noticeable similarities between the...

The goblin shark is a rare and elusive deep-sea fish. Because of their harsh habitat, the sharks are hard to see while they're alive, but fishermen frequently catch them in their nets and on their...

A potential danger to humans, the porbeagle shark, is a powerful, fast swimmer. Unlike most sharks, porbeagles must swim continuously to breathe. One of several mackerel sharks, the porbeagle's...

The most common shark caught in the U.S. shark industry, the sandbar shark, is a bottom-dwelling shark found worldwide. The sandbar shark also goes by brown shark, ground shark, northern whaler,...

Named for the cookie-shaped wounds it inflicts on its prey, the cookiecutter shark is a small, oddly-shaped shark with distinct features. Despite their sharp teeth, they pose no danger to humans...

A curious shark species, whitetip reef sharks approach divers, particularly when baited. They aren't aggressive and are virtually harmless to humans. The whitetip reef shark, prefers to keep to or...

The spitting shark belongs to the family of nurse sharks. In fact, it also commonly goes by the name, tawny nurse shark. Rarely harmful to humans, spitting sharks occasionally bite when provoked....

Although fairly common, scientists know little about the zebra bullhead shark, also called the zebra horn shark. Its distinct coloration, shape and markings make this shark difficult to confuse...

The lemon shark is rarely harmful to humans and never fatal. It's a species used often in scientific research, as it's large and thrives in captivity. Known worldwide by a variety of names,...

One of the most widely exhibited aquarium sharks worldwide, the sandtiger shark, "carcharias taurus," thrives and even reproduces in captivity, given the right conditions. Also known as the...

Harmless to humans, zebra sharks sometimes even allow divers a close approach. Zebra sharks provide a perfect subject for underwater photographers. Closely related to epaulette sharks, nurse...

Named for distinctive black tips on its fins, the blacktip shark also goes by blackfin shark, black-tipped shark, small blacktip shark and spot-fin ground shark. Potentially dangerous but never...

The most common shark extant, spiny dogfish sharks serve many purposes. They provide lab specimens, food, hides, fertilizer, liver oil and even pet food. In Europe, people think of these sharks as...

The blacktip reef shark or Carcharhinus melanopterus should not be confused with the blacktip shark. Popular game fish, these sharks are sold as fresh fillets and their fins can be used for...

Found worldwide, mako sharks prove to be a coveted game fish, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region. The fastest swimming sharks, makos even leap out of the water. Estimates of their speed vary...

Although second only to the whale shark in size, the basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) poses no real threat to humans. Filter-feeding sharks, they swim quite slowly, rarely exceeding three miles...

Among the world's most common sharks, the blue shark (Prionace glauca) can reach speeds of at least 25 mph, making it one of the fastest sharks. Blue sharks migrate up to thousands of miles in a...

The megamouth shark (Megachasma pelagios) is a very rare shark species. In fact, the first specimen of the megamouth shark was found in 1976 by a United States Naval vessel off the island of Oahu,...

Bull Sharks are a common shark that can be found worldwide. It is distinctive from other sharks, however, and can be fairly easy to spot. However, you probably never want to get close enough to...

The Whale Shark is the largest fish on Earth. Whale Sharks are very distinctive and are usually harmless to humans, unlike most other sharks. If you want to know how to spot a Whale Shark, here's...

Angel Sharks are very interesting looking sharks. With their broad, flat fins, they resemble stingrays. There are sixteen different species of Angel Sharks belonging to the family Squatinidae. If...

Cow Sharks, the Hexanchidae, consist of four different species. These species are the Bluntnose Sixgill Shark, the Bigeye Sixgill Shark, the Sharpnose Sevengill Shark and the Broadnose Sevengill...

There are many species of large sharks and one of the most common is the Tiger. Though they lack the frightening reputation of their cousin the Great White, they are still fierce predators that...

Nurse sharks aren't as easily recognizable as hammerheads or great whites, but they do have a number of characteristics making them fairly easy to identify if you know what to look for. The name's...

Hammerhead sharks are likely the easiest shark to identify due to their unusually shaped head. There are nine species of hammerheads, the largest being the great hammerhead. Most species are...