Why Do Sharks Hunt?

How Sharks Hunt Long viewed as dimwitted, bloodthirsty monsters, sharks are among the most intelligent species of fish. In fact, sharks have shown to be very versatile and efficient in their hunting methods. Sharks use a variety of hunting methods to capture their prey: adaptation, use of the senses, and strenuous power.
Shark Adaptation. Adaptation for a shark is crucial for its hunting and more so for its survival. A shark's size is vital to its survival since “as the size of the great white shark increases, the prey spectrum also increases as the larger shark can feed on larger prey” (Maddalena). This allows the shark to be more efficient in its hunting by using its energy on one larger fish rather than a multitude of smaller ones. Shark’s are able to capture larger prey because “as the shark grows, the teeth become thick and strong to accommodate larger prey” (Maddalena). Without these adaptations sharks would be much less efficient in their hunting efforts.
The Shark's Senses. The shark's senses are perhaps their most important tool in hunting. Sharks have been known to be able to smell blood from as far as miles away, but they also possess the ability to use electroreception …show more content…
Sharks are very flexible in their hunting methods and this is proven by Dr. Jayne Gardiner stating that “what impressed us most was not one particular sense, but the sharks’ ability to switch between multiple senses and the flexibility of their behavior” (Rutger). This was demonstrated when scientists from Mote, USF, and the University of Boston blocked a sense from shark and tested its ability to capture prey (Rutger). Sharks were still effective in hunting sans vision or smell, but most could not overcome the loss of electroreception (Rutger). Electroreception is a biological ability that allows sharks to detect electric stimuli in all living creatures (Howell). When a shark has all of its senses, it is one of the deadliest predators in the