The white fish, the largest carnivorous fish in the world, is perhaps more frightening to humans than any other living thing. Today, however, it is a protected species in some or all of the waters of Australia, Brazil, Namibia, South Africa and the United States, as well as the Mediterranean Sea. Other countries and states are also considering extending protection. But why protect a known murderer? The question is, as we shall see, not that simple. The public perception of the great white man is not always based on facts.
With the killer whale and the sperm whale, the great white shark * is at the top of the marine food chain. In the shark family he is the king, the super shark. He eats everything: fish, dolphins and even other sharks. But as you get older, you get bigger and slower. They prefer seals, penguins, and carrion, especially dead whales.
To find their food, most sharks use all of their senses, including excellent vision. As for the sense of smell, let's just say the metaphor of the nose that nothing is right! In addition, however, few escape their ears, so sharks can also be called swimmer ears.
The shark's ears are supported by pressure-sensitive cells on either side of the body. Nothing escapes this espionage system, which is specially tuned to combat vibrations, for example a fish that hits the end of a spear. Therefore, it is safe for underwater fishermen to bleed and get fish out of the water as soon as possible.
Sharks also have a sixth sense. With Lorenzini lamps, tiny tubes scattered around the nose, they can detect weak electrical fields emanating from the beating heart, the action of the gills or the swimming muscles of a potential prey. In fact, this sixth sense is so acute that it can even sensitize sharks to the interaction of the Earth's magnetic field with the ocean. As a result, sharks can tell which is north and which is south.
Identification of the great white shark
Although it's called a great white shark, only its underside is white or pale. Its back is usually dark gray. Both colors line the side of the fish in an irregular line that varies from shark to shark. This feature improves camouflage, but also helps scientists identify sharks individually.
How big are great white sharks? "The largest great white sharks measure accurately," explains the Book of Great White Sharks, "measure between 5.8 and 6.4 meters." Fish of this size can weigh more than 2,000 kg. However, thanks to the rear triangular appendages that merge with a torso-like torso, these monsters slide like rockets through the water. Its almost symmetrical tail, built for strength, is another rarity in the shark world, as most other shark species have distinctly asymmetrical tails.
The great white shark's most distinctive and impressive features are its huge conical head, cold black eyes, and mouth full of sharp and sharp triangular teeth. When these double-edged "knives" split or fall, a dental "conveyor belt" pushes the substitutes forward.
Developed by Warmer Blood
The circulatory system of the Lamnidae family, which includes the mako shark, Sardinian shark, and great white shark, is radically different from most other sharks. Your blood temperature is 3 to 5 degrees Celsius [5 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit] above the water temperature. Your warmer blood speeds up digestion and increases your strength and endurance. The Sardinian shark, which feeds on fast pelagic fish like tuna, can cross the water in short bursts at 100 km / h.
When sharks swim, they raise their pectoral fins. When they swim very slowly, they stop and sink like an airplane, despite a build-up of buoyancy oil that is stored in a liver so large that it can make up a quarter of the shark's total weight. In addition, many species of shark need to keep swimming in order to breathe as they carry oxygen-rich water through their mouths and gills. That explains his eternal cold smile!
Man eater?
Of the 368 species of shark known today, only 20 are dangerous. And of those, only four are responsible for the majority of the nearly 100 attacks on people reported around the world each year. About 30 of these attacks are fatal. The four types of perpetrators are the bull shark, which may have claimed more lives than any other shark, the tiger shark, the ocean shark and the great white shark.
Surprisingly, at least 55% (and around 80% in some parts of the world) of those attacked by the great white man were alive to tell the story. Why did so many people survive the onslaught of such a dreaded predator?
Bite and spit
The great white shark is known to spit injured prey after a strong first bite. Then wait for the victim to die before eating them. When people are the victims, this behavior provides an opportunity for salvation. This was done on occasion by brave companions who demonstrated the board's wisdom of never swimming alone.
However, without the behavior of great white sharks, these rescue attempts would be virtually suicidal. The smell of blood does not induce binge eating like other sharks do. But why does the great white shark use a bite-and-spit strategy?
It's in the eyes, speculates one scientist. Unlike other sharks, white does not have an eyelid-shaped membrane to protect the eyes. Instead, they are rotated in their grooves when a collision is imminent. Upon impact, the eye may be exposed to the seal's claws. Hence, for the great white shark, a quick and fatal attack and release is a common behavior.
Also, note that great white sharks behave like human babies - it all goes straight into their mouth for a first glance! "Unfortunately, if a big white [test] sticks, it can be catastrophic," said John West, a marine biologist from Sydney, Australia.
Although the great white shark is a dangerous animal, it is not a demon that craves human flesh. An abalone diver who spent 6,000 hours in the water saw only two great white sharks and did not attack them. In fact, the great white shark often runs away from humans.
During a dive in the Cape Verde Islands, ocean researcher Jacques-Yves Cousteau and a partner encountered a giant white shark. "[His] reaction was the least imaginable," writes Cousteau. "Out of sheer fear, the monster emptied a cloud of feces and took off with incredible speed." He concluded, "As I pondered all of our experiences with the great white shark, I was always struck by the huge gap between what the public imagines as creatures and what we have seen as such."
Great white shark as prey
The public image was heavily influenced by the 1970s novel Tubarão, which became a popular film. Overnight the great white shark became the epitome of evil, and "herds of trophy hunters ran to see which would be the first to show the head or jaws of the trough. Men over the fireplace," says the book Great White Shark. Over time, an assembled white shark tooth would cost up to $ 1,000 (in Australia). and a full set of jaws, over $ 20,000.
However, most great white sharks are killed in commercial fishing nets. In addition, millions of sharks are caught every year to meet the growing market for shark products, particularly fins. In recent years, as the number of fish caught has declined, the alarm has gone off worldwide, particularly among great white sharks.
Understanding is coming
Sharks are known to roam the seas in search of the sick, the dying, the decayed and the dead. A healthy shark population therefore means healthy and hygienic oceans.
The International Union for Conservation of Species Survival Commission recognized the threat to shark survival and appointed a group of shark experts to investigate the entire shark problem. However, studying the great white shark is not easy: it is not productive and dies in captivity. Therefore they have to be examined in their natural habitat.
As people understand sharks better, their attitudes towards these fascinating creatures have changed. But that doesn't change anything about the great white shark. Although not a demon, it is a dangerous animal and should be treated with care and respect. A lot of respect!