As most of people don’t have enough spare time to watch the 8,522 videos currently on ARKive (although you may wish you did), we thought we’d give you a helping hand by choosing what we considered to be the top ten videos of one of the world’s most endearing animals: the shark. After perusing all of the magnificent shark footage on ARKive we managed to whittle them down to just ten terrifying, awe-inspiring and bizarre videos.
Gentle giants
The whale shark is the biggest fish in the world, measuring as much as twelve metres and weighing up to 12,500 kilograms. It is a fairly docile species and feeds mostly on plankton and small fish, actively sucking in prey through its large mouth. Its sheer size can be acknowledged when compared with the diver in this video:
It’s fin may cut the surface of the water in a way which could instil fear into the most courageous humans, but the basking shark is more interested in devouring microscopic prey. The basking shark is the second largest fish in the world and has a mouth that can measure up to a metre across when fully open. See it feeding in this fascinating footage:
Out of the ordinary
The mysterious megamouth shark was only described as recently as 1976 and is so genetically different from other sharks that it was placed in its own family. It can reach over five metres in length and its oversized mouth has over 50 rows of tiny, hooked teeth. See this strange species in action in this video:
Friends with benefits
The Greenland shark is one of the largest sharks in the world, measuring up to seven metres. Almost all Greenland sharks are parasitized by a minute crustacean which attaches itself to the shark’s cornea and gradually destroys the host’s eyesight. It is thought to be a mutually beneficial relationship as the crustacean may act as a lure for fish, although this is unconfirmed. See it in action here:
The strange-looking scalloped hammerhead has a mutually beneficial relationship with cleaner wrasse. This helpful fish eats parasites from the skin and mouth of the scalloped hammerhead shark, as well as cleaning any wounds, as shown in this video:
Remarkable reproduction
Most sharks are ovoviviparous, with the young developing within eggs in the body of the female. The eggs then hatch inside the female, who then gives birth to the well-developed young. However, the lemon shark, similarly to humans, is viviparous and the young develop inside the female, while receiving nutrients from an internal placenta and the female then gives birth to live young. See this extraordinary event unfold here:
Expensive taste
The salmon shark, as its name suggests is thought to be one of the main predators of Pacific salmon. It is similar in appearance to the great white shark and shares its excellent predatory skills. The salmon shark may have the highest body temperature of any shark, which allows them to maintain warm muscles and organs, so they are still able to hunt in the ice cold waters of the North Pacific Ocean. See this giant in its habitat here:
Quick off the mark
The shortfin mako is thought to be the fastest shark species and is capable of reaching speeds of up to 35 kilometres per hour. Its high tail and efficient heat exchange system enable it to quickly pursue its prey, as shown in this video:
Fearsome fish
No list about sharks would be complete without mentioning the formidable great white shark. A tremendously skilled predator, it is at the top of the marine food chain and is known to hunt fish, turtles, molluscs, dolphins, porpoises and seals. Their powerful bodies enable them to leap from the water in pursuit of prey, as shown in this video:
Fighting back
The tiger shark is one of the largest shark species and is known for its voracious appetite, eating anything from fish to car license plates. Although the inanimate objects it predates on are unlikely to fight back, its more alive prey may create more problems, much like the loggerhead turtle in this video:
Hannah Mulvany, ARKive Species Text Author Intern
