![graphic of shark silhouette with "Shark" written in it](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-life-logo/6115250-4-eng-US/shark-life-logo_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-life-logo/6115250-4-eng-US/shark-life-logo_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-life-logo/6115250-4-eng-US/shark-life-logo_full_1468.png 1468w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-life-logo/6115250-4-eng-US/shark-life-logo_full_1980.png 1601w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-life-logo/6115250-4-eng-US/shark-life-logo_full_2475.png 1601w)
What’s Life Like for a Shark?
Sharks aren’t just like other fish. They hunt, eat, fight, and reproduce in so many surprising ways. They even have a sixth sense!
How Do Sharks Reproduce?
![Baby catshark in its egg case on a piece of coral](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/catshark-embryo/6118695-11-eng-US/catshark-embryo_full_495.gif 800w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/catshark-embryo/6118695-11-eng-US/catshark-embryo_full_990.gif 800w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/catshark-embryo/6118695-11-eng-US/catshark-embryo_full_1468.gif 800w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/catshark-embryo/6118695-11-eng-US/catshark-embryo_full_1980.gif 800w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/catshark-embryo/6118695-11-eng-US/catshark-embryo_full_2475.gif 800w)
catshark embryo in egg case
Unlike most fishes, which release sperm and eggs into the water, sharks fertilize eggs inside the female’s body.
Many shark mothers keep eggs inside their uteruses until they hatch. Some embryos eat unhatched eggs inside their mother. Some even eat other embryos!
Other sharks lay their eggs in egg cases to keep them safe. Egg cases can have sharp prongs to help them hang onto seaweed and corals.
FUN FACTS:
- Fluorescent sharks lay fluorescent egg cases.
- Very long-lived Greenland sharks may not reproduce until they are 150 years old!
- One female whale shark was found with 300 eggs inside it, some of them already hatched and ready for live birth.
How Do Sharks Eat?
Sharks have all kinds of jaws and teeth—and all kinds of other body parts that they use to hunt with, too.
For example, sawsharks and sawfishes slash fish with their sawlike nose extensions, or rostrums.
![collage of sawshark and a close up showing its teeth](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/sawshark-teeth/6119223-15-eng-US/sawshark-teeth_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/sawshark-teeth/6119223-15-eng-US/sawshark-teeth_full_990.jpg 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/sawshark-teeth/6119223-15-eng-US/sawshark-teeth_full_1468.jpg 1468w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/sawshark-teeth/6119223-15-eng-US/sawshark-teeth_full_1980.jpg 1601w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/sawshark-teeth/6119223-15-eng-US/sawshark-teeth_full_2475.jpg 1601w)
largetooth sawfish
Thresher sharks whip prey with their tails. Lantern sharks attract prey with their glowing bellies.
![shark with tall long tail](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/thresher/6119405-5-eng-US/thresher_full_495.png 470w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/thresher/6119405-5-eng-US/thresher_full_990.png 641w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/thresher/6119405-5-eng-US/thresher_full_1468.png 641w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/thresher/6119405-5-eng-US/thresher_full_1980.png 641w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/thresher/6119405-5-eng-US/thresher_full_2475.png 641w)
thresher shark
![shark that glows blue](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/lantern-glow/6119409-6-eng-US/lantern-glow_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/lantern-glow/6119409-6-eng-US/lantern-glow_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/lantern-glow/6119409-6-eng-US/lantern-glow_full_1468.png 1281w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/lantern-glow/6119409-6-eng-US/lantern-glow_full_1980.png 1281w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/lantern-glow/6119409-6-eng-US/lantern-glow_full_2475.png 1281w)
lantern shark
Some sharks bite down hard on their prey, breaking their teeth. No problem! New teeth keep growing in, through a system that's a little like a conveyor belt. Almost all sharks grow new teeth! Most sharks and rays can extend their upper jaws forward while biting. And high-stress areas, like jaws, have layers of calcified cartilage to reinforce them so they don’t break.
![brown hexagonal pattern that makes up shark cartilage](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-cartilage/6119243-8-eng-US/shark-cartilage_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-cartilage/6119243-8-eng-US/shark-cartilage_full_990.jpg 601w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-cartilage/6119243-8-eng-US/shark-cartilage_full_1468.jpg 601w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-cartilage/6119243-8-eng-US/shark-cartilage_full_1980.jpg 601w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-cartilage/6119243-8-eng-US/shark-cartilage_full_2475.jpg 601w)
shark cartilage
![shark jaw showing multiple rows of teeth](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-teeth/6119239-8-eng-US/shark-teeth_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-teeth/6119239-8-eng-US/shark-teeth_full_990.jpg 601w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-teeth/6119239-8-eng-US/shark-teeth_full_1468.jpg 601w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-teeth/6119239-8-eng-US/shark-teeth_full_1980.jpg 601w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/shark-teeth/6119239-8-eng-US/shark-teeth_full_2475.jpg 601w)
shark teeth
Can You Match the Jaw to the Feeding Style?
FILTERING: The largest sharks and rays eat by filtering, which means taking in large amounts of water, getting rid of the water, and eating the millions of tiny animals left behind.
Which jaw is for filtering?
![make shark jaw](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/jaw-quiz/mako-jaw/6115335-3-eng-US/mako-jaw_full_285.jpg 285w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/jaw-quiz/mako-jaw/6115335-3-eng-US/mako-jaw_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/jaw-quiz/mako-jaw/6115335-3-eng-US/mako-jaw_full_990.jpg 801w)
![whale shark jaw](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/jaw-quiz/whale-jaw/6115331-3-eng-US/whale-jaw_full_285.jpg 285w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/jaw-quiz/whale-jaw/6115331-3-eng-US/whale-jaw_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/jaw-quiz/whale-jaw/6115331-3-eng-US/whale-jaw_full_990.jpg 801w)
How Do Sharks Use Electricity to Find Their Prey?
Current Companions: Remoras
Who is that gliding through the water next to that shark, twisting and turning with its every move?
![image of a shark swimming with several remoras attached to it](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/remoras/6119428-1-eng-US/remoras_full_495.gif 400w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/remoras/6119428-1-eng-US/remoras_full_990.gif 400w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/remoras/6119428-1-eng-US/remoras_full_1468.gif 400w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/remoras/6119428-1-eng-US/remoras_full_1980.gif 400w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/marine-biology/all-about-sharks/remoras/6119428-1-eng-US/remoras_full_2475.gif 400w)
lemon shark with remoras
It’s not a baby shark. It’s not even a smaller shark species. It’s a remora, one of sharks’ closest companions.
Remoras use modified dorsal fins to stick themselves to sharks and other marine life. They help their hosts by cleaning off their parasites. They also nibble on scraps from a shark’s meal. Sharks don’t seem interested in eating remoras. In fact, some have been found stuck to the roofs of sharks’ mouths!
How Do Sharks Protect Themselves?
Imagine a shark. Is it big and scary? Not all sharks are! Many are small and vulnerable. More than half of the 500 shark species are less than 3 feet (1 meter) long. They have many important roles in ecosystems. And sharks often have to protect themselves from predators trying to eat them.
Image Credits:
catshark embryo in egg case, NOAA; largetooth sawfish swimming, Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC BY-SA 3.0; rostrum inset, © G M MASUM BILLAH; thresher shark, Shane Gross/Science Source; lantern shark, 2018 Delroisse et al; cartilage close-up, © AMNH/J. Maisey; bull shark teeth, Reuters/Alamy; whale shark jaw, © AMNH/M. Shanley; whale shark filtering, Jonathan Bird/NatureFootage; mako shark jaw, © AMNH/M. Shanley; mako shark swimming, Andy Brandy Casagrande IV/NatureFootage; cookie cutter teeth, Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa; scientist examining shark, David Doubilet; bite mark on seal, BJ Stacey; Port Jackson shark jaw, © AMNH/M. Shanley; Port Jackson shark footage: NHNZ Worldwide Ltd/NatureFootage (2); lemon shark with remoras, Andy Brandy Casagrande IV/NatureFootage; honey bee hovering, Maslowski/Minden Pictures; stingray in blue water, BluePlanetArchive/Andy Murch; honey bee stinger, Ingo Arndt/Minden Pictures; stingray tail, BluePlanetArchive/Franco Bandi; electric eel, BluePlanetArchive/DR Schrichte (2); electric ray, BluePlanetArchive/Andy Murch (2); green Gabon tree frog, BluePlanetArchive/Michael S. Nolan; angel shark above seafloor, BluePlanetArchive/David B. Fleetham; brown and orange harlequin tree frog, Scubazoo/Science Source; angel shark blending with sand, BluePlanetArchive/Richard Hermann; mouse among sticks, BluePlanetArchive/ImageBroker/Wilfried Martin; lemon shark pup swimming, BluePlanetArchive/Doug Perrine; mouse looking under grasses, BluePlanetArchive/ImageBroker/Reinhard Hoelzl; lemon shark in mangrove roots, Shane Gross/Minden Pictures; puffer fish deflated, Pete Oxford/Minden Pictures; swell shark, Norbert Wu/Minden Pictures (2); puffer fish inflated, Fred Bavendam/Minden Pictures.
Video Credits:
scalloped hammerhead from below, Jonathan Bird/NatureFootage; great hammerhead hunting, Andy Brandy Casagrande IV/NatureFootage; smalltooth sand tiger shark, NOAA; mobula rays, Discovery Access; spookfish, NOAA; tiger shark swimming, Discovery Access; tiger shark snout with electroreceptors, BluePlanetArchive/John Muhilly; seals swimming, Andy Brandy Casagrande IV/NatureFootage; school of hammerheads, Simon Pierce.