Wildlife
Feared as cold, unflinching predators and even as violent maneaters, sharks are unquestionably top of the underwater food chain. Yet, in stark contrast to their reputation, some sharks are gentle giants that harmlessly filter vast quantities of plankton. Others have highly developed senses that allow them to detect prey from tiny signals sent from miles away. Delve below the surface on these pages to find a wealth of video featuring some of the world's best-loved - and feared - sharks, from the fearsome tiger shark, to the bizarre hammerheads and gigantic whale sharks. Video highlights include the glorious slow-motion great white shark strike from Planet Earth.
Did you know?
Sharks range in length from the 13m whale shark to the 20cm dwarf lanternshark.
Scientific name: Selachimorpha
Rank: Superorder
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Shark search
Clues to the health of British sharks lie on our beaches.
Clues to the health of British sharks lie on our beaches.
Sharp-toothed sharks
Steve Backshall looks into the mouths of some very large fish, with immensely sharp teeth.
Steve Backshall looks into the mouths of some very large fish, with immensely sharp teeth.
Seventh sense
Astonishing sensory capabilities allow sharks to find hidden prey.
Astonishing sensory capabilities allow sharks to find hidden prey.
Great white predator
Slow motion cameras capture the immense power and agility of a breaching great white.
Extraordinary footage from an ultra-high speed camera captures and illuminates shark behaviour in a wholly new way. As the great white shoots vertically out of the water a Photron camera films at 1,000 frames per second. Slowed down 40 times, this single second of action reveals the immense power and agility of the ocean's master predator. Every nuance of its behaviour becomes evident as the shark toys with its prey. This was the favourite Planet Earth clip when the series was first broadcast.
Mackerel sharks
Ground sharks
Whale shark (species)The following habitats are found across the Sharks distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Sharks are a group of fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachimorpha (or Selachii), and are the sister group to the rays. However, the term "shark" has also been used for extinct members of the subclass Elasmobranchii outside the Selachimorpha, such as Cladoselache and Xenacanthus. Under this broader definition, the earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago.
Since that time, sharks have diversified into over 470 species. They range in size from the small dwarf lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi), a deep sea species of only 17 centimetres (6.7 in) in length, to the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish in the world, which reaches approximately 12 metres (39 ft). Sharks are found in all seas and are common down to depths of 2,000 metres (6,600 ft). They generally do not live in freshwater although there are a few known exceptions, such as the bull shark and the river shark, which can survive in both seawater and freshwater. They breathe through five to seven gill slits. Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles that protects their skin from damage and parasites in addition to improving their fluid dynamics. They also have several sets of replaceable teeth.
Well-known species such as the great white shark, tiger shark, blue shark, mako shark, and the hammerhead shark are apex predators—organisms at the top of their underwater food chain. Their predatory skill fascinates and frightens humans, even though their survival is threatened by human-related activities.
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