EASY READ The animal kingdom
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What do sharks feed on?
There are more than 400 different kinds of shark. Some, such as the great white, are fierce predators. They hunt turtles and seals as well as other fish and squid. Whale sharks and basking sharks are gentle giants that feed only on plankton. A shark’s skin is covered by tiny, teeth-like scales. Sharks do not have bones in their bodies. Instead, their skeletons are made of tough, bendy gristle or cartilage.
Great white sharks
Great white sharks, fierce predators, may grow up to 6 metres (20 feet) long. They usually find their prey by spotting their shape in the surface waters above where they swim. Their razor-sharp teeth are perfect for biting off chunks of flesh. Great whites have five rows of 46 teeth. Only the front row is used. The others move forward as if on a conveyor belt to replace them when needed.
Hammerhead shark
The hammerhead’s nostrils and eyes are found on either side of its oddly-shaped head. The wide head may increase its field of vision, allowing it to spot prey more easily. Some kinds of hammerhead are known to attack humans.
Tiger shark
Tiger sharks are so called because of the faint stripes on their backs. They are another of the few species of shark that actually kill and eat humans. They are large, powerful fish with huge jaws and teeth. They eat almost anything at the water’s surface—including land animals that stray too near to the water's edge—along with rubbish and other objects that they mistake for food.
Small sharks
Most kinds of shark are small. The nurse shark feeds on bottom-dwelling creatures in shallow waters. The goblin and cookiecutter sharks inhabit much greater depths. Sawsharks have a long snout with sharp teeth along each side, like a saw. They use it to slash fish and squid into small pieces that can then be eaten more easily.
Whale shark
Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish. They can grow up to 12 metres (40 ft) long. Despite their great size, they are harmless to humans. They eat only small fish and plankton. They feed all the time, sucking in clouds of plankton like a gigantic vacuum cleaner.
Consultant: Chris Jarvis
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Here are some pages in other parts of Q-files you might like to explore:
Sharks
Great white shark
Hammerhead shark
Whale shark
Sharks and rays A-Z
pics
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