Sharks have got a bad reputation. Ever since Jaws hit the cinema screens, people have run from the waters in terror, convinced that there is a shark lurking in the deep, waiting to launch a surprise attack. In fact, there are very few recorded cases of shark attacks per year and those which do happen are predominantly as a result of confusion on behalf of the shark, who has mistaken a human for another source of food. Sharks are amazing creatures and have barely changed in DNA since the time of the dinosaurs; they’re that efficient.
Whilst we’re all familiar with the Great Whites and Hammerheads of this world, there are hundreds of other species with which we’re not as familiar with. These sharks are somewhat unconventional and when you realize what they can do, you’ll see the fish in an entirely different light.
6. Wobbegong
Wobbegong sharks don’t really look like sharks. In fact, they don’t really look like fish. Lying on the sea bed, they blend in with the sand and rocks within the coral reefs they inhabit. Their tactic is to lull smaller fish into a false sense of security and strike when they’re at their most vulnerable. They even use their tail as a dummy fish, to make others think it is safe. Tricky.
5. Cookie Cutter Shark
5. Cookie Cutter Shark
You won’t want to put your fingers anywhere near these little sharks; Cookie Cutters have some of the sharpest and most destructive jaws out there, despite being relatively small in size. They get their name from the way they attack their prey, gouging holes of flesh out with their teeth.
4. Frilled Shark
4. Frilled Shark
Often called a “living fossil”, the Frilled shark is one of the oldest fish in the waters and has barely changed over the course of its existence. Living in deep water, it moves like a snake and gets its name for its frilly gill slits on its sides.
3. Goblin Shark
3. Goblin Shark
It’s not hard to see why the Goblin shark has such a bad name. Viewed in profile, its long snout resembles the hooked nose of a goblin and when it opens its mouth, things are only intensified. Extending its jaw, it reaches forward to catch its prey and looks more than a little disfigured in the process.
2. Whorl Tooth Shark
2. Whorl Tooth Shark
Despite having been extinct for a long time, fossils of Whorl Tooth Sharks (Helicoprion) have revealed the fish to have had spirally arranged clusters of teeth, arranged like a circular saw. Whilst early theorists believed the whorls were used for self defense, it has since been uncovered that they were within the lower jaw, always ready for attack.
1. Angel Shark
1. Angel Shark
The Angel shark looks more like a ray than anything else. Living on the seabed, the shark has a flattened out body which it uses to camouflage itself within the sand. Angel sharks are also born with extendable jaws meaning that, even if prey is out of direct reach, they can still make a leap for it.
