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Shark Weekend - 10 Shark Facts

10 Shark Facts

From Andy Dehart, Director of Biological Programs at the National Aquarium, Washington DC, USA.
Swimming sharks as seen from below (DCL)
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1. There are over 400 unique and diverse species of shark. Of these, half are between 6 inches and 3 feet in length, and more than 80% of all sharks are smaller than humans. Less than 5% of sharks are giants like great whites, whale sharks and basking sharks that can grow to between 12 and 45 feet.

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2. Humans pose a much greater threat to sharks than they do to us: overfishing, finning and habitat destruction are posing real harm to shark populations. Hammerhead shark populations have decreased by 89% over the last two decades.

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3. Shark skin, when rubbed from tail to head, is extremely rough because it is made up of dermal denticles, made from the same material as teeth. Many cultures historically used shark skin as sandpaper.

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4. Sharks can lose as many as 1,000 teeth per year. Sharks’ teeth are constantly replaced throughout their life.

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5. Many sharks can see colours. In addition to excellent eyesight, most sharks have keen hearing and smell. They possess a unique sensory ability to detect electric current using gel-filled pores called ampullae of Lorenzini.

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Shark Weekend Image Gallery A Whale Shark with its huge mouth agape (Link: Shark Weekend Image Gallery) (NHPA)
All About Sharks A wrangler holding a baby shark (Link: All About Sharks index) (DCL)
Play Shark Alley Shark Alley in-game (Link: Shark Alley) (DCL)
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