E-Book Content
SHARKS SEYMOUR
SIM;O.N
Digitized by the Internet Archive in
2013
http://archive.org/details/sharks00seym_f56
SHARKS SEYMOUR SIMON SCHOLASTIC INC. New
York Toronto London Auckland Sydney
it never be
You're at the ocean,
fails.
a shark.
They
sing
swimming
in
the surf, and
ominous music and then lunge
at
someone pretends
to
you.
People have always made up myths and legends about creatures they find mysterious and terrifying. Sensationalized books, television shows, and movies strengthen the truth
is
myth
that sharks are always
that there are only about a
on the lookout to attack people. The
dozen shark attacks
year (about 100 worldwide), and most victims live to
have
a better
chance of being
hit
Sharks have killed fewer people than are killed shark
in
in
in
tell
the United States each
their stories. In fact,
by lightning than of being attacked by
you
a shark.
the United States in the past one hundred years
automobile accidents over
the world counts people as part of
When you know
in
its
a single
holiday weekend.
And no
regular dinner menu.
the truth about sharks, you'll begin to see
nating creatures they are, instead of the monsters of myth.
them
as the fasci-
Sharks are class of fish
the
fish,
known
Greek words
Like
all fish,
but they are very different from most as
and
ichthyus,
made
fish don't
Two
gills like
fish,
are like yours, an upper
fish.
sharks have no other
most
in
your
fish,
ears.
but they have five to seven pairs of this
Caribbean reef shark.
and lower eyelid. The third eyelid
like a
balloon inside a
from sinking because there
is oil
cause they keep swimming.
If
is
transparent.
it.
Sharks also lack the swim bladder that keeps most bony is
which means
have eyelids, but some kinds of sharks have three of them for each
covers the entire eye and protects
bladder
to a
of cartilage, a tough, white, flexible material, just
openings instead of the usual one, as you can see on
Most
It
cartilage,
end of your nose and
Sharks breathe through
eye.
which means
sharks have backbones, but unlike other
bones. Their skeletons are
gill
They belong
Chondrichthyes (kon-DRlK-thees). The name comes from
chondros,
like the stuff at the
fish.
fish's
body
that keeps
it
fish afloat.
buoyant. Sharks keep
in their livers that acts like a float,
a shark stops
swimming,
its
A swim
and also be-
weight pulls
it
down
to
the bottom. Scientists calculate that sharks cruise at about one to three miles per hour. hour.
A
few kinds can suddenly speed through the water
at
up to 60 miles per
Most people think sharks, erful
of jaws and teeth
and with good reason.
Many
jaws and rows of sharp teeth.
when they
think of
sharks d