Hunter And Hunted, Sharks A Diverse Species In Danger

But putting aside the fear factor for a moment, have you ever wondered about the sharks themselves? It turns out that sharks are absolutely fascinating creatures. They have existed on our planet for hundreds of millions of years because the basic shark design is extremely well adapted to life in the ocean. One key to the shark's success is its diversity. There are more than 400 species of shark today. Half of these species are small, at less than a meter in length full grown. But sharks can also get huge. A whale shark can grow as long as 45 feet and it feeds on plankton like many whale species. This wide range of sizes lets sharks fit into many different ecological niches...