Forget about outer space; There are aliens closer to earth. These weird and interesting sharks seem to come from another planet. And from poisonous flesh and electric sensors to sneaky, stabbed ambushed prey, the method of attack and self-defense is far from trivial. Without difficulty, we have listed here for you 10 of the most exotic sharks on the planet!
1. Cookiecutter Shark
This shiny shark is only 17-22 inches long, but what they lack in size is made up for in disgust (besides being very weird). As you can see, this cigar-shaped shark wanders through the water, waiting for the larger prey to appear. Their bodies are luminescent except for a dark collar on the back of the head, and this dark part is considered a false shadow of a small fish, acting as bait.
Although the cookiecutter shark can eat an entire squid, its most famous feature is its parasite. First, they attach themselves to the larger organism by pressing their suction lips against the flesh of the animal. Once they are attached, this shark bites the host. The upper teeth act as an anchor, while the lower jaw moves back and forth like an electric scraper. The shark then twists and turns, until it cuts up a piece of meat about 2 inches wide and 2.8 inches deep.
Cookiecutter sharks, in fact, eat medium and large creatures that share the same tropical habitat. Whales, dolphins, sharks, seals and bony fish have been found injured by them. This creepy little beast is also known to bite submarines, submarine cables, and even humans.
2. Hammerhead shark
Although hammerhead sharks are the most well-known sharks on this list, there is no complete list of exotic sharks without them. With their eyes on either side of the giant cephalofoil, or hammerhead, hammerhead sharks have a 360-degree vertical field of view – meaning they can be seen above and below at the same time.
The hammer also gives hammerhead sharks a good idea of the electric fields generated by their prey – the rays, for example, are often buried in the sand. And although they have small teeth and a small mouth compared to other sharks, hammerhead sharks are generally very agile and do well in water at high speeds.
Another strange feature of hammerhead sharks is that they form schools during the day. They have a very tight order of power in these groups, and they communicate with each other through very complex bodily movements.
3. Longnose saw shark (a longnose sword shark)
Check out that next weird shark. The longnose saw shark is one of six sword-carrying sharks that can grow up to 4.5 feet in length. A long, serrated nose with rows of sharp teeth is a third of their weight.
The long-nosed shark also has long antennae that grow from the sides of the nose – much like a beard – and use it to find food. The antennas are fully portable and sense vibration and bioelectricity, the same way hammerhead sharks find their favorite snack. What’s even more interesting is that this beard is very sensitive to touch and taste – which makes it perfect for spotting prey hidden in the sand.
When the long-nosed shark finds prey, it swings its nose, injures and even stabs its hapless victim through the body. The shark vigorously curls its head until the prey falls from its multi-toothed nose, then it sucks the prey into its mouth and chews it with its sharp teeth.
4. Flying shark
This one looks more like an eel or deep-sea termite fish than a shark. This rare shark can be found in various parts of the Pacific and Atlantic, but it is very common off the coast of Japan. This breed is famous for its odd shape and very long gestation period, up to 42 months (the longest compared to a vertebrate).
They also have up to 300 infamous sharp teeth that will stick to slippery prey. In addition, their mouths can swell, which allows them to swallow preys that are half their size.
For a long time, scientists thought that this species moved by waving so that it was relatively small. However, it was later discovered that his foie gras allowed him to swim in water, which allowed him to float and bask at depths ranging from 160 feet to 660 feet.
Although no one has discovered that this shark eats, it is believed to hunt in ambushes. When the bait gets close enough, it closes all the fins and pulls forward like a snake attack, and its jaws open to bite.
5. Basking shark
Weighing over 5 tons and measuring 33 feet long, the exposed shark is the second largest shark in the ocean (behind the whale shark). These giants walk through the water with their mouths open like a large cave, using 5,000 gills to filter the plankton from 1.5 million liters of water per hour.
The sun-dried shark must swim to eat, as its swimming pushes water through its gills. Although they swim very leisurely at 3 miles per hour, they travel thousands of miles and are known to dive to depths of 3000 feet.
Unfortunately, this tender and harmless shark has been overexploited for its meat, large fatty liver and microbes. They have at least been protected in a number of places, including on the US Gulf coasts, Malta and Great Britain.
