Smiley Shark Low Poly Papercraft by Methakura

8 Oct, 2021

In the food chain, sharks are at the top, which means that they are the ultimate predators throughout the sea. However, even though there are no other marine animal enemies that will prey on them, the existence of sharks is still threatened precisely because of human activities.

The World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature Indonesia organization noted that Indonesia itself is the largest shark producing country in the world, accounting for 16.8 percent of the total catch worldwide.

No wonder the shark population in the Indonesian sea is increasingly threatened with extinction. The decline in the shark population in Indonesia is caused by the high demand for consumption of fins, meat, and so on.

WWF Indonesia estimates that around 12,622 kg of shark fin in Indonesia is served in restaurants and hotels in Jakarta in one year.

In fact, as the top predator, sharks have a role to maintain the balance of the ecosystem in the sea. If the shark population is threatened, the balance of the ecosystem and the food chain in the sea will also be disturbed.

Although they are often labeled as human predators as well, this is not always true. Quoted from Ruang Guru, here are five facts about sharks.

1. Sharks live older than dinosaurs

It turns out that sharks were discovered long before dinosaurs existed. Sharks appeared 410 million years ago, while dinosaurs were discovered 230 million years ago. However, their fate was different from that of the dinosaurs, which experienced a mass extinction 66 million years ago. Sharks can survive because they cross the ocean to change places.

2. Sharks have multiple personalities

Like humans, sharks also have traits. Recent research has found that some sharks can react differently in certain situations. Some sharks are shy and easily stressed, some are brave and don't get stressed easily.

3. Have the longest period of pregnancy

In certain species, sharks have the longest gestation period of any animal in the world. For example, the species Chlamydoselachus anguineus can conceive for as long as 3.5 years. Therefore, sharks include animals with slow reproduction. If one shark dies, it will take a long time to come back and a new shark is born.

4. The size of the shark decreases over time

Climate change makes the body size of sharks evolve to be smaller than before. Warm water causes sharks to need more energy for activities and body metabolism. In addition, climate change also has an impact on reducing the sharpness of the shark's sense of smell for hunting.

5. Sharks change teeth within 24 hours

According to data from National Geographic Kids, sharks have about 10,000 teeth in their lifetime. This means that sharks change their teeth very often because they are easily broken. The design of the teeth is not firmly stuck in the molars, but its strength in tearing food is very strong. New shark teeth will also grow within 24 hours.

A4 paper format,
300 mm length,
required 7 colored sheets (1 black, 1 red, 1 white, 1 light blue and 3 blue).