Shark Book

Introduction

The World of Sharks: Awe-inspiring Animals

• Studying sharks
• Sharks and people
• The diversity of sharks
• Classification of sharks

Origins and Ancestors: Shark Evolution Through the Ages

• Studying ancient sharks
• Fossilized teeth
• Early sharks
• Diversification
• Survival of the fittest
• Megalodon
• Living fossils

The Perfect Body: Biology Surpasses Technology

• Shape and color
• Cartilaginous skeleton
• Oil-filled liver
• Shark fins and swimming
• Shark skin
• Breathing underwater
• Warm-blooded sharks
• Salt balance
• Shark intelligence

Senses Out of This World: Sensations Beyond Our Imagination

• Hearing
• Smell
• Lateral-line system
• Vision
• Electroreception
• Touch
• Taste
• Navigation
• Communication

Shark Reproduction: Propagating the Species

• Finding a mate
• Making the grade
• Ready or not
• Mating positions
• Laying eggs and giving birth
• Oviparity
• Yolk-sac viviparity
• Viviparity
• Parental care
• Growing up

The Ultimate Predator: Always on the Lookout for Food

• Teeth
• Jaws
• Hunting techniques
• Competitors or co-operators?
• Favorite foods
• Digestive system
• Migrations
• Predators of sharks
• Providing a free meal

Shark Attacks in Perspective: Fear Distorts the Facts

• Publicized to death
• The 'Summer of the Shark'
• The International Shark Attack File
• How many people are attacked?
• What provokes a shark to attack?
• Types of attacks
• Where are the shark attack hotspots?
• Who do sharks attack?
• The most dangerous sharks
• How not to become a statistic
• Shark repellents and protection
• An 'inevitable' attack

Sharks in Trouble: Under Threat Around the World

• Shark finning
• Other shark products
• Fisheries bycatch
• The consequences
• Taking shark conservation seriously
• Why conserve sharks
• How you can help

Shark Research: More Questions Than Answers

• Tagging
• Megamouth shark
• Sharks in science

Shark Watching: Face-to-face Encounters

• The growth of shark diving
• Attracting and feeding sharks
• Is shark feeding acceptable
• Developing a responsible industry
• Parallels with whale watching
• The value of shark diving
• Planning a shark dive
• Where to see sharks

Further reading Index Acknowledgments Picture credits