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Endangered Sharks Many species of sharks are endangered. One is the whale shark, which is the largest shark, as well as the largest fi sh, in the world. It can be up to 40 feet long. However, it is harmless and usually ignores swimmers and divers. Scientists presented by a division of Learning A-Z estimate that whale sharks may live 100 years or more. Another large, but endangered, shark is the bluntnose sixgill People More Dangerous shark. This friendly looking species lives in the Western Than Sharks! Atlantic, and can be found as far known as Iceland or down below the Equator. It likes deep water and sometimes sleeps By Jane Sellman on the bottom of the ocean. The oceanic whitetip, which makes its home in the Gulf of Sharks are not dangerous. Basking and whale sharks only Mexico, is declining. So is the bull shark, a species that likes People are dangerous. That’s eat plankton, tiny sea animals warm, tropical water and has been known to come close the opinion of a new lobby and plants. to shore. group, SHARKS (Sharks Have A Right to Keep Swimming). “People are in more danger © GeorgiaAquarium,ZacWolf According to their spokesfi sh, from dogs than us sharks,” Basking Shark, the reputation Basking said. “Dogs bite about of sharks as cruel predators, or 4.7 million Americans each hunters, is exaggerated. year.” “Sharks eat at the most, 10, maybe 12 people a year,” said Basking. “But people kill 75– The loss of sharks means an increase 100 million sharks a year!” in rays, another type of fi sh. Rays “Some sharks, like the great feed on bivalves—clams, mussels, white, tiger, and bull, are known oysters, and scallops. These bivalves to attack people, but most of are a source of food for animals and humans. What might happen to the the 340–350 species,” said © Clipart.com bivalves if the sharks die out? Basking, “are shy.” They tend to ignore or avoid human beings. See People More Dangerous Than Sharks! on page 2 © Learning A–Z, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 www.sciencea-z.com 1 People More Dangerous Than Sharks! Continued from page 1 WWritrite AAboutbout TThis!his! Why is the © iStockphoto,IanScott In fact, sharks as a species may be in danger of disappearing fi sh attached to from our planet! According to the shark? a press release from SHARKS, © Clipart.com overfi shing is one problem. Since sharks do not reproduce at the rate that other fi sh do, the shark population cannot Sharks are very old. One of them, replace the millions of species Both Basking Shark and Spined called Cladoselache, lived on the earth that are caught each year in Pygmy Shark want to thank before dinosaurs. Most sharks appeared about 64 fi shing nets. those scientists and other caring people who are fi nding ways million years ago and lived during the time of the dinosaurs. “Many species of sharks are to save sharks. Some of these becoming extinct,” said Spined people who care use satellites Some sharks will eat whatever is available; © Clipart.com Pygmy, “due to pollution of to identity and track sharks others have their favorite foods. The the oceans and overfi shing. If in an effort to protect them. hammerhead shark prefers to dine on stingrays. They are passing laws to stop an animal becomes extinct, it Sharks live in all kinds of water, from very warm tropical seas overfi shing. disappears forever.” to cold water in the Atlantic. Some also live in rivers and Sharks are important to the “People and sharks may be lakes that have access to a sea or an ocean. For instance, the environment. They provide scared of each other,” said Ganges River shark lives in the Ganges River in India. a necessary balance to the Basking, “but we also need Unlike people and some animals, sharks are not constantly ecosystem. The ecosystem each other.” snacking. For instance, lemon includes all living things. If sharks in aquariums one species dies, others may will only eat about die, too. © Wikipedia, ChrisGotschalk every 40 to 80 hours. Cooks use the fi ns to Sharks take awhile to make a soup that is digest their food before popular in some parts they eat again of the world. Shark © Clipart.com fi n soup can cost © Wikipedia, NOAA Spined Pygmy Shark Basking Shark $400 a bowl! © Learning A–Z, Inc. All rights reserved. 2 3 www.sciencea-z.com.