All About Sharks for Children- Animal Videos for Kids

Sharks are a fish that can measure up to 32.8 feet and weigh up to 20.6 tons. They fall into a subclass of species called elasmobranchii, which means their skeleton is made from cartilage rather than bones. Sharks can also have up to seven gills at each side of their head, which is uncommon as most fish only have one.

Based on scientists findings and examining fossilised teeth from sharks, they believe that sharks have been around for 400 million years - this means they've outlived dinosaurs! Today sharks have evolved hugely and there are approximately 1,000 species of sharks and rays, with new ones discovered every year.

Whale Sharks are one of the biggest species of fish on earth and can actually grow up to 55 feet - that's a big jump compared with dwarf lantern sharks that only measure up to eight inches.

Sharks are predators and have multiple rows of pointy teeth - did you know they fall out and routinely grow back on a routine basis?

Different species of sharks
There are around 1,000 different species of sharks but here’s just a few:

Whale shark - the largest shark species and the biggest fish in the world.
Basking shark - the second largest shark species, they can grow up to 40 feet long and weigh seven tons.
Shortfin mako shark - thought to be the fastest shark species and can grow to 13 feet and weigh 1,220 pounds.
Thresher shark - there are three types of thresher shark: the common thresher, pelagic thresher and the big eye thresher.
Bull shark - these sharks tend to habitat warm, shallow and murky water.
White shark - among the most feared predators in the ocean and their maximum size is around 20 feet long weighing 2,000 pounds.
Oceanic white tip shark - they live out in the open ocean far from land and live in tropical and subtropical waters.
Blue shark - they get their name from their colour as they have dark blue backs and lighter blue sides. They can grow up to 12 feet.
Hammerhead shark - there are several species of Hammerhead sharks including the wing head, mallet head, scalloped hammerhead, scoop head, great hammerhead and bonnethead shark.
Nurse shark - these are nocturnal creatures who like to live at the bottom of the ocean.
Black tip Reef shark - these sharks are easily identified with their black tip and grow to a maximum of six feet.
Sand Tiger shark - this shark grows to a maximum of 14 feet and is found in shallow waters.
Lemon shark - this shark is commonly found in shallow waters and grows to a maximum of 11 feet.
Brown banded bamboo shark - a small shark found in shallow waters.
Mega mouth shark - this shark was discovered in 1976, there’s roughly only been 100 sightings.
Shark behaviour
Some species of shark, for example, white sharks are solitary and don't stay in groups. Whereas others do like to swim in groups, for example, Lemon sharks have been seen to socialise in groups.

Most sharks eat small fish and invertebrates, but there is a few that prey on large species such as seals, sea lions and other marine animals.

What do sharks eat?
Sharks are carnivores, most of their diet comes from fish and other sea mammals including dolphins and seals. However, some shark species have also been known to eat turtles, seagulls, krill and plankton. When sharks are hunting for their prey, they use their lateral line system. They use this to help them detect water movements, which can be great during the night when visibility is poor.