Sharks are often portrayed in films as ruthless hunters, but the truth is, they eat everything from marine mammals to algae. But what is this favourite prey among different sharks? We delve deeper into what sharks eat to identify 21 food sources that are a staple in their diet!
What do sharks eat?
Sharks are a ferocious group of predators with a surprisingly varied diet. There are over 500 different shark species in the Elasmobranchii subclass, and their numbers are constantly being found. These species are grouped into 30 families based on their body shape, size, diet, and many other defining characteristics.
Although sharks are a diverse group of animals, they tend to follow one of two main types of diet. All known shark species are either carnivorous, which means that they mainly eat larger marine animals such as fish, seals and turtles, or planktivorous, meaning they feed mainly on tiny species of plankton.
Many shark species are also top predators, which means they have no real competition for food and are at the top of their food chain. Apex predatory sharks have a very varied buffet of different types of animals that they can feed on, but it’s important to note that not all sharks are ferocious, carnivorous opportunists. Some species, such as whale sharks and giant sharks, peacefully filter their food with plankton and more.
What do predatory sharks eat?
Most shark species are carnivores and will eat almost any marine animal, small or weak, to get into their toothy jaws. These meat eaters are extremely skilled hunters and generally have little or no competition in what they eat.
Although they usually don’t have to compete with anyone for food, carnivorous sharks are not very picky about food. Here are some of the many types of animals they eat:
- Bony fish of various sizes, from sardines and anchovies to tuna and mackerel.
- Crustaceans
- Molluscs
- Seals
- Squid
- Octopus
- Beams
- Turtles
- Dolphins
- Sea urchins
Smaller predatory shark species, such as the pygmy shark, tend to eat smaller prey such as bony fish, squid, and shrimp, while larger species regularly consume larger animals such as seals, turtles, and sea lions …
For example, detailed analysis of mostly young hammerhead scallops showed that smaller squid were their favorite prey. Meanwhile, research into what tiger sharks ate showed that larger species such as marine mammals, rays and rays were their favorite prey.
Some sharks, such as the bull shark, even resort to eating smaller sharks when food is scarce, although this is rare.
How do predatory sharks hunt prey?
the reef shark swims with a flock of nesting sites. class = ”wp-image-83138 ″ />The bodies of predatory sharks are ideal for efficient and secretive hunting of prey. They are known to employ a variety of strategies depending on their size, species, and the prey animal they are hunting, from simply swallowing them whole to ripping them apart with their large mouths filled with rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Since predatory sharks prefer to eat live meat, they immediately eat their prey. When they chase down larger prey animals such as turtles and dolphins, they will hunt in packs, ensuring that every part of the animal they kill is eaten.
Surprisingly, many shark species can go without food for a month or longer, making them very hardy animals that rarely starve to death. Fortunately, predatory sharks are some of the most adept hunters in the ocean and usually have a variety of predatory animals to choose from, so food shortages are usually not a problem for them.
What do planktivorous sharks eat?
The other main group of sharks is planktivorous, which means that they do not hunt or eat large prey such as turtles and dolphins, but only survive on tiny species of plankton. There are only three species of planktivorous shark: the giant shark, the whale shark, and the megalay shark.
The main types of plankton eaten by these sharks are made up of two main groups: phytoplankton and zooplankton. Both types are very small, phytoplankton being the smaller of the two and microscopic, therefore invisible to the naked eye. These plankton groups are composed of the following animals, all of which are eaten in large numbers by planktivorous sharks:
- Small copepods and their larvae
- Different types of shrimp
- Seaweed
- Decapod larvae, i.e. larvae of crab, lobster and shrimp.
- Krill
- Seashells
In addition, these sharks sometimes eat other small marine animals such as:
- Squid
- Fish eggs
- Small species of bait fish
- Jellyfish
- Molluscs
How do planktivorous sharks eat?
Three known species of planktivorous shark feed passively, swimming slowly in the ocean and using unique structures known as gill stamens, like suction filters. Interestingly, they act in a similar way to how baleen whales use their baleen plates to suck in tiny marine animals and large amounts of water.
The branchial stamens are made up of cartilage and are long, thin ridges in place of the teeth. Planktivorous sharks, such as the giant shark, suck water into their mouths, drawing in many tiny plankton and other animals that get stuck in the “teeth” of the comb gill stamens. After filtering the water through the gills, planktivorous sharks eat the remaining animals trapped in their gill stamens.
A 2015 study found that whale sharks tend to hunt and feed on plankton in groups of two to three to 20 or more! They prefer to feed on very large and dense groups of plankton in order to conserve energy.