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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 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.
