Advertisement.

EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site.
As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages.
Click here to learn more.

ad
(Already a member? Click here.)


Table of Contents
Enchanted Learning
All About Sharks!

Geologic Time Chart
Introduction to Sharks Introduction to Rays Anatomy Shark and Ray Species Extreme Sharks Extinct Sharks Classification Shark Glossary Shark Index Printables, Worksheets, and Activities

SHARK ANATOMY
Tiger shark

SHARK GILLS

Sharks, like other fish, live in the water and use their gills to filter oxygen from the water. When water passes over the gills, a system of very fine blood vessels (capillaries) in the gills takes up (absorbs) oxygen from the water.

Sharks have 5-7 pairs of gill slits located on the sides of their heads. Unlike bony fish, they do not have gill covers. Water must continually flow across these slits in order for the shark to breathe. This can be accomplished by the shark's swimming, by it standing still in a current, or by it fanning water across the gills with its fins (this is done by the nurse shark).

Filter feeding sharks (like the whale sharkWhale shark, basking shark, and the megamouth shark) expel the filtered water through their gills.

SPIRACLES

Some sharks have spiracles, which are special gill slits located just behind the eyes. They supply oxygen directly to the eyes and brain of the shark. Bottom dwelling sharks like the angelsharks use this extra respiratory organ to breathe while at rest on the sea floor. It is also used for respiration when the shark's mouth is used for eating.

Tiger sharksTiger shark have been found "sleeping" in sea caves in the Gulf of Mexico, completely stationary for long periods of time.





Enchanted Learning®
Over 35,000 Web Pages
Sample Pages for Prospective Subscribers, or click below

Overview of Site
What's New
Enchanted Learning Home
Monthly Activity Calendar
Books to Print
Site Index

K-3
Crafts
K-3 Themes
Little Explorers
Picture dictionary
PreK/K Activities
Rebus Rhymes
Stories
Writing
Cloze Activities
Essay Topics
Newspaper
Writing Activities
Parts of Speech

Fiction
The Test of Time

Biology
Animal Printouts
Biology Label Printouts
Biomes
Birds
Butterflies
Dinosaurs
Food Chain
Human Anatomy
Mammals
Plants
Rainforests
Sharks
Whales
Physical Sciences: K-12
Astronomy
The Earth
Geology
Hurricanes
Landforms
Oceans
Tsunami
Volcano
Languages
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Japanese (Romaji)
Portuguese
Spanish
Swedish
Geography/History
Explorers
Flags
Geography
Inventors
US History

Other Topics
Art and Artists
Calendars
College Finder
Crafts
Graphic Organizers
Label Me! Printouts
Math
Music
Word Wheels

Click to read our Privacy Policy

E-mail Busy Little Brains
CD-ROM


Enchanted Learning Search

Search the Enchanted Learning website for:



Advertisement.

Advertisement.





Copyright ©1996-2018 EnchantedLearning.com ------ How to cite a web page