Shark Biology and Ecology Concepts

To collect and display marine animals in an aquarium.

To cultivate responsibility for the natural environment through science education.

To conduct research on the San Francisco Bay ecosystem.

To train future marine biologists.

A freshwater lake.

A saltwater ocean.

An estuary.

A river delta.

Bone

Cartilage

Calcium

Dentin

Shark teeth are attached to their jaws.

Shark teeth are made of bone.

Sharks shed their teeth often and have rows of replacement teeth.

Sharks are born without teeth.

To help them camouflage with the ocean floor.

To attract prey.

To protect against predators and parasites, and reduce drag.

To help them communicate with other sharks.

They are all the same size and shape across the shark's body.

They are made of bone and are very smooth.

Their size and shape can change depending on where they are on the body.

They are used to help the shark see in dark water.

Their lateral line

Their spiracles

Their dermal denticles

Their Ampullae of Lorenzini

They lay eggs that hatch outside the mother's body.

Young are born live and developed with a placenta attached to the mother's blood stream.

Eggs develop inside the mother's body, hatch inside, and pups live off a yolk sac until birthed.

They reproduce by splitting into two identical organisms.

Lateral line

Spiracles

Dermal denticles

Ampullae of Lorenzini

They use sharp teeth to tear their prey.

They have bony plates in their mouth to crush their food.

They swallow their prey whole without chewing.

They filter feed small organisms from the water.