LiveScience Topics: Sharks

Feared by most, loved my some and hunted by many, sharks are one of the most mysterious groups of creatures roaming the Earth today. Defined as a fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a sleek, streamlined body, a shark can range in size from the two foot pygmy shark, to the colossal 50-foot whale shark. There are more than 250 different species of sharks currently identified, making it one of the most diverse animal genera on the planet. Sharks are found in every major body of saltwater in the world, but are more common in warmer waters. There are a small number of shark species that do thrive in fresh water, and certain sharks have been known to venture from their saltwater homes to major freshwater lakes and rivers. Most members of the Shark family are predatory, though some are more ferocious than others. Ironically, the largest of the shark species, the whale shark and basking shark, are virtually harmless plankton eaters. Sharks have an extraordinary sense of smell when it comes to hunting prey, and have been known to be able to sense visually undetectable amounts of animal blood dispersed into the water from considerable distances.

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Bat Ray Detects Weak Electrical Signals from Prey

Scientists explore rays’ sensory abilities.
DNA Reveals Origins of Shark Fin Soup

New DNA research has allowed scientists to trace shark fins from Chinese markets to their geographic origins
Hammerhead Sharks See 360 Degrees in Stereo

Hammerheads have outstanding forward stereo vision and depth perception, study finds.

More Sharks News and Information

On the Brink: A Gallery of Wild Sharks

Some of the most amazing sharks on the planet.
One-Third of Sharks Could Go Extinct

Nearly a third of sharks and rays are threatened with extinction in a new analysis of 64 species.
Sharks' Killer Strategy Revealed

Scientists investigate shark attacks the same way police investigate serial crimes – with geographic profiling.
Vast Bed of Ancient Bones and Shark Teeth Explained

Sharktooth Hill Bone Bed looks like a giant marine killing field.
U.S. Shark Attack Capital Named

The now-infamous beach is in a county that has logged 210 attacks on humans.
Great White Sharks Once Grew Slower, Fossil Shows

Unusually intact shark skeleton fossil informs shark evolution.
Oldest Fossil Brain Find Is 'Really Bizarre'

A 300-million-year-old fish fossil contains a preserved brain.
Economic Recession Means Fewer Shark Attacks

Tighter budgets mean fewer trips to the beach and less chances to get bit by a shark.
Shark 'Autopsy' Webcast: Science or Stunt?

The webcast done today of a great white shark necropsy, or animal autopsy, is apparently part of a growing trend.
Great White Shark 'Autopsy' to be Webcast Live

The shark is dead, but the webcast of its necropsy, or animal autopsy, will be live.
Shark Pregnant, No Males Required

Biologists confirm a female shark got pregnant without mating with a male.
100 New Sharks and Rays Named

More than 100 species of sharks and rays have been classified and named as new species.
10 Species You Can Kiss Goodbye

Creatures on the verge of disappearing unless something drastic is done.
Ancient Shark's Bite More Powerful Than T. Rex's

The most powerful bite of all time has been found — that of the prehistoric giant shark Megalodon.
Video - Whale Shark Rave: Thriving Population

Hanging wit me Big Fishy peace-lovin' hungry boy, yo: A special moment during recent whale shark fieldwork at Ningaloo, Western Australia, substantiates researchers' impressions that southern Pacific whale sharks are flourishing. This may be due to warmin
Huge Sharks 'Fly' Like Fighter Pilots

Whale sharks can execute strange, bounding underwater "flight" moves.
Great White Lies About Great White Sharks

In the water, fear the jellyfish. On land, watch for those bees. They are far deadlier than sharks.
Majority of Oceanic Shark Species Face Extinction

Shark fin soup could result in the extinction of 16 of 21 ocean shark and ray species.
Electric Signals Could Ward Off Sharks

Scientists hope to reduce shark bycatch by repelling sharks with electric fields.
Sharks Decline But Attacks Rise

Shark attacks are up, but sharks themselves are declining. What gives?
Warmer Antarctic Might Lure Sharks Back

If Antarctic waters warm over coming century, could become hospitable to sharks.

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LiveScience Topics: Sharks

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