Lately we have been hanging out on solid ground, which is great, however, I think we need to take a quick trip to the ocean. While we are swimming around the tropical (or temperate) oceans around the world, keep an eye out for an interesting fish known as the Sharpnose Sevengill Shark. To help you identify this shark from others, just count the number of gills. They should have seven gill slits instead of the standard five you find on most sharks. Although, if you are close enough to count their number of gills…..you may be too close, so you should probably back up a little.
Small Shark Syndrome
Why don’t you want to get close to a shark that is only 60 to 120 cm (2 – 3.9′) long? Well, for starters, they are still shark! And more importantly, this small shark is known to be incredibly aggressive. Don’t let their size fool you as they are active, voracious predators and will attempt to bite if they feel their life is in danger…or if they are bored. So, if you are trying to count their number of gills, I highly recommend that you be quick about it since this is not an animal you will want to irritate.
Wouldn’t You Be Cranky?
Even though this shark is considered to be a top level predator in their environment, they still have a few things that are out to get them. When you are living in the ocean, you always need to be on the lookout for larger sharks and this is no different for the Sharpnose Sevengill Shark. Other than their cousins preying on them, they also need to be weary of a much, much smaller attacker. Unfortunately, this poor shark is often preyed upon by parasites such as nematodes and cestodes, which most likely make their life a little uncomfortable. Perhaps, this is why ol’ Sharpy is always in a bad mood and wanting to bite things!
Sharpnose Sevengill Shark Fast Fact
If you happen to get close to this shark, make sure you take a look into their eyes. I guarantee you will be very impressed with their large, fluorescent green eyes. Just don’t get too captivated with their eyes, since they may not like you staring at them.
