View source for Portal:Sharks/Did you know

*Until the late 16th century sharks were usually referred to in the English language as sea-dogs. The name "Shark" first came into use around the late 1560s to refer to the large sharks of the Caribbean Sea.

*Some sharks, if [[inverted]], enter a natural state of temporary paralysis called [[tonic immobility]]. Researchers use this condition for handling sharks safely.

*The name ''shark'' may have originated from the Mayan word for shark, xoc, pronounced "shock" or "shawk".

*The teeth of carnivorous sharks are not attached to the jaw, but embedded in their flesh. In many species, teeth are constantly replaced throughout the shark's life.

*Even though the [[basking shark]] is considered to be slow and very large, it can actually [[Whale behaviour|breach]] the water, i.e. jump fully out, as some whales do.

*Despite the common myth that sharks are largely instinct-driven "eating machines", recent studies have indicated that many species possess powerful problem-solving skills, social complexity and curiosity.

*That sharks are not known to bite humans as often as people think.

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