Sharks are definitely a versatile group of sea predators with over 440 different species roaming the seas. Today, we present to you 10 odd shark species as a definite proof that sharks really do come in all shapes and sizes.\r
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#7 Angel Shark (Squatina squatina)\r
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We never would have guessed that what looks like an oversized ray is ually a shark. With their large, flat bodies and big pectoral fins angel sharks look nothing like a member of its own species. Their unusual shape ually helps them to camouflage and get lunch every day. They hide under the sand and use their sensory organs to detect prey. When the prey comes close, this ambush predator shoots out of the hiding spot and catches its lunch. Angel sharks prefer the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean where they live solitary life. They mate during spring. Females hatch the eggs inside of their body and after 8- 10 months they deliver 8- 13 babies that can live for more than 30 years.\r
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#6 Caribbean Roughshark\r
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This frightening species of shark is so rare that literally nothing is known about its social life, behavior and breeding patterns. As the name suggest, Oxynotus caribbaeus lives in the Caribbean Sea, mainly in the waters off of Honduras and the Bahamas. Most likely it remains near the seafloor in deep waters where it feeds of invertebrates and small fish. Like other members of the Angular Roughshark family, the Caribbean Roughshark has unusually large fins for its chubby body covered with rough, greyish skin and spear-like and blade- like teeth that you definitely dont want to feel on your skin.\r
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#5 Dwarf Lanternshark\r
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Sharks put fear into people. Mostly because they are dangerous human- eating predators. But, if there is one shark species that is almost adorable and not scary at all- thats the Dwarf Lanternshark. Meet the worlds smallest shark, so small that can ually fit on your hand. And if thats not good reason to like this dogfish, wait until you hear that it can ually glow. Of course, bioluminescence is not for esthetic reasons, but to attr pray. The Dwarf Lanternshark can be found off the coast of Venezuela and Columbia. \r
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#4 Australian Ghost Shark (Callorhinchus milii)\r
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The Australian Ghost Shark known also as the Elephant Shark is easy to recognize because of its snout- like trunk. It can be found off the coast of Australia and New Zealand. It has elongated body and shiny silvery white skin with a very sharp spine that is considered to be venomous. Ghost sharks feed on mollusks and shellfish. They mate in spring when adults migrate to bays to lay their eggs on sandy substrates. Females mature later than males and are usually bigger than them. The average lifespan of this marine fish is 15 years.\r
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#3 Frilled Shark \r
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Chlamydoselachus anguineus- thats a hell of a hard- to- pronounce name for an odd looking shark than looks straight out of the Natural History museum. The truth is that the Frilled Shark is indeed a prehistoric shark that havent evolved much in the last 500 million years hence the ‘extinct animal look. This living fossil is found in most of the Earths oceans but usually lives in Japan at depths of 1, 500 meters in the sea. Its snake like body can reach a length of four meters. Frilled sharks have strong flexible jaws and over 300 sharp teeth to devour other sharks and octopuses.\r
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#2 Angular Roughshark\r
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By now youve probably got an idea about how great sharks diversity truly is. Yet, this mysterious, bizarre looking shark species manages to surprise us with its unusually big fins and rough scales known as denticles that cover its entire body. Their diet consists of worms and mollusks. Oxynotus centrina is truly a rare and vulnerable species that you can catch a glimpse of in the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern Atlantic. \r
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#1 Goblin Shark (Mitsukurina owstoni)\r
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At first glance, Goblin sharks look pretty much like the common shark. When they go for a bite all that changes and they become a real deep- sea monsters with their protruding jaws that can extend to catch the prey similar to the way humans stick their tongue out. Although, Goblin sharks have been observed in parts of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean, they are extremely rare. They are also called Vampire Sharks due to their sensitivity to sunlight.
