Sharks & Underwater Predators

by Tom Jackson

Overview

With fossil records dating back 400 million years, sharks have outlived the dinosaurs and many other forms of life currently on earth – they are even older than trees. There are more than 1,000 species of sharks and rays, with new species discovered every year. Through their evolution, sharks have shaped our oceans into the rich habitats we know today. As apex predators, sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by maintaining the species below them in the food chain – helping remove the weak and sick, and keeping the ocean and fish populations healthy. Learn about the dwarf lantern shark, which is so small it can fit in the palm of your hand; or the whale shark, which grow up to 12 metres (40ft) in length and is the largest known fish species in the oceans today; or the great white shark, the oceans’ top predator and capable of chewing up dolphins and seals with its 300 teeth. In a handy pocket format with full captions explaining the different species, behaviour and feeding habits, Sharks & Underwater Predators is a lively examination of these elemental killers in through vivid colour photographs.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781838864439
Publisher:	Amber Books
Publication date:	08/14/2024
Series:	Mini Encyclopedias
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	4.94(w) x 6.56(h) x 0.88(d)

About the Author

Tom Jackson is a leading natural history writer based in the United Kingdom. As an author and contributor he has worked on more than 60 books. A zoology graduate from the University of Bristol, he has also worked as a zookeeper and in safari parks in Zimbabwe.

Table of Contents

Contents include:

Introduction

1: Galean Sharks

Carcharhiniformes: Hammerhead shark, tiger shark, blue shark, bull shark, blacktip reef shark, lemon shark, dusky shark

Heterodontiformes: horn shark, Galapagos bullhead shark

Hexanchiformes: Frilled shark, broadnose sevengill/cow, bluntnose six gill

Lamniformes: great white, basking, shortfin mako, porbeagle, goblin, thresher

2: Dogfish and Carpet Sharks

Orectolobiformes: wobbegong, zebra, epaulette, nurse, whale

Pristiophoriformes: bahamas sawshark and longnose sawshark

Squaliformes: cookiecutter, greenland, spined pygmy, spiny dogfish

Sqantiniformes: Japanese angel and pacific angel

3: Rays and Skates

Skates and rays are very closely related to sharks. They're flatter in shape, which makes them well suited for life on the sea-floor. Their mouth, nostrils and gills are located on the underside of their body. While their eyes are on top.

4: Other Predators

Box jellyfish, great barracuda, lionfish, sarcastic fringhead, stonefish, Sailfish, anemones, tuna, octopus, squid, crabs, lobsters, mantis shrimps

5: Marine Mammal Hunters

Whales, dolphins, walrus, otters, polar bears