United States
£ GBP
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.
Other deadly predators of the deep – such as the box jellyfish, lionfish and giant octopus – are also to be feared. Did you know the Stonefish is the most venomous fish species to swim in our oceans? Better not get too close – it has 13 dorsal fin spines that release deadly toxins when the fish gets into threatening situations. Learn about the dwarf lantern shark, which is so small it can fit in the palm of your hand; or the whale shark, which grows up to 12 metres (40 ft) 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. With full captions explaining the different species, behaviour and feeding habits, Sharks & Underwater Predators is a lively examination of these elemental killers in more than 180 vivid photographs.
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
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.
