Despite the myth that sharks are lean, mean, killing machines, the more we learn about
them the more fascinating they become!!
From advanced problem solving skills to making friends, here are 8 fascinating shark behaviors.
8.
Do sharks sleep?
Even though we’ve been researching them for years, shark sleeping is still a mystery.
One popular theory that has been spread around the whole world is that sharks don't need
to sleep.
And that if they stop moving for any significant period of time, they'll die.
This isn’t exactly the case, AND it depends on the shark.
Sharks breathe by filtering water through their gills to process oxygen so people started
to think that they had to move constantly.
Some species of sharks do need to swum constantly but others like the nurse shark have these
things called spiracles that force water across their gills, allowing them to stay still and
rest.
So also “sleep” in the animal kingdom is kind of hard to define.
Sharks don’t bunker down and tuck themselves in or anything like that, but they can slow
down some bodily functions to a slow crawl so they can rest.
They can make their brain less active and sleep swim, because swimming is controlled
by their spinal cord, not their brain.
Just as interesting is that when sharks like Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks, and lemon
sharks are "inactive" or resting, you’ll see them lying on the ocean floor, but they'll
actually keep their eyes open and still watch any nearby fish or divers, so that they give
the illusion of being awake.
But are they??
Do you think sharks sleep?
Let me know in the comments below!!
7.
Instinct Vs. Intelligence Due to the nature of sharks, they are driven
by their senses more often than not.
This is because of their lateral line system that runs throughout their bodies.
Their bodies are attuned to pick up certain stimuli and react to it very quickly.
This has driven the belief that sharks are actually creatures of pure instinct, but that's
not exactly true.
While some things that they do are pure instinct, it’s not always the main thing that drives
it.
Instead, they'll get information via their senses, whether it be sight, sound, smell,
or taste, and they'll react how they feel is appropriate.
This is why there are many "inconsistencies" between the various breeds of sharks.
For example, there are numerous sharks that are considered "solitary" creatures, and many
of are, but they are also social.
Sand Tiger sharks are very social and will hunt alone and then every once in a while
join in with a family group, similar to those of elephants and gorillas.
They will often change their mind depending on the circumstances.
Some species will come together to hunt in packs or when it seems to benefit them.
Lemon sharks have very complex social behaviours and make friends with one another.
There is no survival advantage, they just like hanging out!
Because many people think that sharks are just run by their instinct, they think that
sharks aren’t very intelligent.
While many sharks don't have the biggest of brains and seem to run on autopilot like the
blue shark, the Mako shark has a huge brain and can learn quickly, assess risk, and perform
tasks.
We are just now starting to understand intelligence versus instinct in sharks.
6.
Working Together Like I mentioned before, many sharks will
form groups and work together.
When you think of social animals, sharks probably weren’t high on that list!
It seems like we are always shown a lone fin cutting through the water in order to get
to an unsuspecting prey.
Every shark for themself!
But more and more, scientists are witnessing sharks working together, and they are very
efficient at it!
In Smitswinkel Bay in South Africa, a whale had gotten partially beached.
A group of seven sharks detected this whale and saw an opportunity to eat.
However, because of its partially beached body, they couldn't get to it directly in
order to feed.
Somehow they worked together, and were able to move whale into deeper waters, where they
could chow down.
Problem solving skills put to work!
Dont ask me how they figured it out!
Seven sharks working towards a single goal is highly impressive.
That takes a level of intelligence and trust that isn't always associated with the creatures.
Porbeagle sharks have also been known to come together and play.
They will chase each other with kelp in their mouth and roll over and over.
And now for number 5 but first, if you are a returning subscriber welcome back and thank
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5.
Be the Prey Sharks are the Apex Predators of the oceans
especially the largest ones like the Great White, Tiger, and Bull.
But if you look at these sharks, and then study their prehistoric past, you'll realize
that they weren't always this way.
Some of them had to evolve in order to become the fierce and efficient hunters that they
are now.
A great example of this is the Mako Shark.
Mako Sharks love to eat Bluefish Tuna, which is a very fast fish.
Scientists believe that after struggling to catch the Bluefish Tuna, the Mako Shark started
to adapt its body so that it would be more streamlined and fast like its prey.
When a predator and prey begin to have similar genetic traits over time, this is called convergent
evolution.
This form of evolution is one that can be started by both predator and prey alike.
They'll notice the traits of the other, and then start molding their body like them.
In the case of the Bluefish Tuna and the Mako Shark, both of them now have centralized muscle
structures.
This has been likened to pistons, which help propel both fish and shark in ways that other
fish just can't do.
This is why the Mako is the fastest shark in the ocean today.
The Mako also uses its tail very effectively.
Its shape, which is more crescent shaped than other sharks, allows it to cut through the
water easier, thus making it faster.
This difference in shape also allows for more straightforward movement, making it even more
like a missile.
To learn more, be sure to check out the video on Mako Sharks when you finish this one!!
Sharks and dolphins have also developed similar genetic traits because they are both made
for speed in the water to catch prey.
For a shark to know that it needs to grow, and then force its own evolution is incredible
on numerous levels.
4.
Best Hunting Strategies A big misconception about sharks is how they
kill prey.
Many people think that because of their sharp teeth, powerful bodies, and aggressive behavior
that they just go after something, eat it, and be done with it.
But that's not true, their behaviors are much more refined when it comes to how they hunt.
For example, while they can eat during the day, they prefer to eat at night, when fish
aren't expecting them to show up.
In fact, it's well documented that sharks have many strategies for hunting depending
on the species, after all they are apex predators for a reason!
Some will beat their prey with their speed and just grab them once in range.
However, the Great White Shark and the Angel Shark will actually use ambush tactics to
get their prey.
At times, they'll ram their prey to stun them first, then grab them.
Or as Makos and Great Whites have shown, they'll ram from below, grabbing the tuna, fish or
seal and lunge out of the water then slam them down on the surface of the water in order
to stun them.
. But sharks also know how to do their hunting
effectively.
They wait to use certain strategies so that they won't lose too many calories, which they
use to travel incredible distances.
So as you can see, they aren't just vicious hunters, they're calculating ones.
Another amazing case that was caught on tape was when a humpback whale carcass appeared
on the shore of Ponta, Mozambique.
It was washed up on the beach and over 60 sharks of various species including dusky,
tiger, and bull, took turns ripping hunks of meat out of the whale.
One of the tiger sharks also beached itself to keep eating!
But a large wave came along and the shark was able to return back to the water.
3.
Migration Patterns Most sharks migrate using electroreception
to go to warmer waters, follow schools of food like fish, seals, and whales, and mate
and birth their pups.
Most sharks except great whites and makos are cold blooded, so they have to migrate
to the south in winter and north during the summer to stay within the necessary temperature
range.
Thanks to tracking devices we know great white sharks will migrate from one feeding ground
to another and travel around 2500 miles (4000 km) in open ocean to get to where they need
to go!
They will swim and drift dive which is when they stop swimming and their momentum carries
them forward and they drift downward.
Like when you are on a bike and pedal really hard and then just coast.
Other sharks won’t really migrate that much at all for example the Nurse Shark and the
Bonnethead shark which will stay in a range of about 160 km (100 miles).
Sharks will return to the same breeding grounds year after year to protect their young from
predators for a little while.
Usually shallower, warmer waters where they can’t become an easy meal.
I have some good news for you!
After several decades of decline, numbers of great white sharks in the North Atlantic
are finally increasing!
And a shark nursery has been found near Montauk, Long Island.
2.
Glowing Sharks Bioluminescence is nature’s way of giving
living things the power to glow in the dark.
There are two kinds of shark that were discovered recently that have the ability to glow.
The first is the aptly named Lantern Shark family and the second is the kitefin shark.
Most fish bioluminesce by using their light organs (photophores), however, shark luminescence
works in a different way.
They emit light from photophores which helps them camouflage themselves and communicate
with each other.
The lantern shark is able to control the amount of light it emits, and it can emit just enough
to make itself blend in with its environment.
The light from the ocean's' surface would cause any creature caught in it to make a
"shadow" or silhouette.
But, the Lantern Shark knows a magic trick and actually glows its body so that it matches
the light in such a way that its "shadow" disappears!
Ta-da!
Then, there's the Velvet Belly Lantern Shark, which actually has an entire spine that glows.
This adaptation makes it so that it can ward off predators that dare get too close to it.
1.
Body Language Communication Have you ever wondered how sharks communicate
with one another?
After all, they can't "talk" or make sounds like other animals.
So how do they make it so that other sharks know exactly what they're saying even though
they aren't "saying" anything?
The answer is that they are very talented at communicating through body language.
Sharks have learned a very intricate and detailed way of communicating by the way they move
their bodies.
For example, if a shark wants to look strong and imposing, they'll stiffen up and open
their mouths, or, they'll arch their backs to seem like they're in an attack posture.
They'll also swim in certain ways to help show that others are in their area or domain.
When things get a little hairy, sharks have been known to slap surface water with their
tails or to jump out of the water and slam into it in order to lay their claim or to
ward off other sharks from trying to steal their prey.
So while it may not seem like it, sharks do indeed talk, and they make their intentions
known to their own kind without hesitation.
Divers and shark experts are amazed by the subtle complexities of shark lingo, but as
they’ll tell you if you watch shark week, as long as you read the signs and maintain
eye contact, you should be fine!!
Thanks for watching!
Hope you learned something new about sharks today!
Let me know what you think in the comments below!!
Be sure to subscribe, and I'll see you next time!