Fish, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 18, 2022

Megalodon was fastest swimming shark ever and could devour an orca in 5 bites, 3D model reveals

The megalodon shark was so big and powerful it could devour an orca in a few bites, and was the fastest cruising shark to ever swim the oceans, a new study shows. The finds were revealed thanks to a new 3D model of the long-extinct shark, based on data collected...

Aug 28, 2022

Video reveals baby steps of newly hatched ‘walking’ sharks

Some sharks can walk, and researchers recently discovered how one of these unusual shark species practice taking baby steps. They begin when they're newly hatched, and a hatchling's walk is no different from that of older juveniles. When the tide near a coral reef goes out, a small species of...

Sep 1, 2022

4 Dead, Liverless Sharks Wash Ashore in Weird Whodunit

Orca whales have claimed the life of another great white shark by eating its liver and leaving it for dead, making it the fourth such gristly death in less than two months. During a four-day period in early May, researchers reported finding the bodies of three great white sharks (Carcharodon...

Sep 1, 2022

Great white sharks may have driven megalodon to extinction

Megalodon (Otodus megalodon), one of the largest sharks to have ever lived, mysteriously vanished from the fossil record about 3.6 million years ago. Now, scientists suspect that the massive predator may have been driven to extinction by a rival marine species: great white sharks. Prior research hypothesized that megalodon's decline...

Sep 23, 2022

Mysterious 'nightmare' shark with unnerving human-like smile dragged up from the deep sea

A bizarre deep-sea shark with bulging eyes and an unnerving, human-like smile was recently dragged up from the depths off the coast of Australia. Shark experts are uncertain exactly which species the creepy-looking creature might belong to, adding to the mystery surrounding the unusual specimen. A deep-sea angler, who goes...

Oct 25, 2022

New 'oasis of life' filled with ravenous sharks is found hiding beneath Maldives ocean

Deep-sea divers have discovered a completely new ecosystem 1,640 feet (500 meters) beneath the water’s surface in the Indian Ocean, and it’s filled with hungry sharks. Scientists described the region — named the Trapping Zone and located near the Maldives’ deep-sea volcano Satho Rahaa — as an oasis of life...

Dec 20, 2022

Female zebra shark opts for 'virgin birth' even when sharing a tank with healthy males

A female zebra shark (Stegostoma fasciatum) has given birth by fertilizing her own eggs, despite sharing a tank with two healthy males who likely would have been eager to help, reports a new study in the Journal of Fish Biology. This unusual scenario challenges prior assumptions about the risks and...

Dec 21, 2022

Massive graveyard of fossilized shark teeth found deep in the Indian Ocean

A graveyard studded with thousands of shark teeth is lurking nearly 3.5 miles (5.400 kilometers) beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean. Researchers made the shocking discovery in October during a month-long expedition along the southern tip of Indonesia aboard the RV Investigator, a 308-foot-long (94 meters) research vessel operated...

Jan 16, 2023

Massive megalodon tooth discovered in Chesapeake Bay by 9-year-old fossil hunter

A 9-year-old fossil hunter who has collected more than 400 shark teeth along the Maryland coastline has found an enormous chomper belonging to a megalodon — the largest shark to ever swim Earth's oceans. Molly Sampson fished out the 5-inch-long (13 centimeters) tooth on Christmas Day (Dec. 25), 2022, in...

Jan 27, 2023

Threatened shark meat is being served as fish and chips in Australia

The meat from several threatened shark species is being served as fish and chips at restaurants across southern Australia and could become a public health hazard, a new study finds. Researchers from the University of Adelaide analyzed DNA samples from meat served at 100 fish and chip shops scattered across...

Feb 10, 2023

In rare attack, great white shark decapitates diver in Mexico. But why?

A fisher was recently decapitated by a 19-foot-long (5.8 meters) great white shark while diving for ax tripe, a scallop-like mollusk in Mexico. The tragic event made headlines because of the unusual nature of the attack. Manuel Nieblas López, who was in his 50s, was attacked Jan. 5 in Tobari...

Mar 1, 2023

Megalodon: Facts about the long-gone, giant shark

The megalodon, which went extinct millions of years ago, was the largest shark ever to prowl the oceans and one of the largest fish on record. The scientific name, Otodus megalodon, means giant tooth, and for good reason: Its massive teeth are almost three times larger than the teeth of...

Mar 3, 2023

Missing man's remains found in shark's belly, but it's 'very very unlikely' the shark killed him

The remains of a missing person in Argentina were recently recovered from the belly of a dead shark. The shark had been caught by fishers near where the man went missing, leading to speculation in the media that the shark may have killed him. But shark experts and police suspect...

Mar 24, 2023

Watch 2 megamouth sharks caught on video for the 1st time ever

Stunning new footage shows a pair of extremely elusive megamouth sharks (Megachasma pelagios) swimming together off the coast of San Diego. The video, captured by fishers in early September 2022, may show the deep-dwelling beasts in a courtship ritual and is one of just a handful of sightings of the...

Apr 21, 2023

Great white shark washes up on South Carolina beach in rare, unusual stranding

A great white shark washed up on South Carolina's Myrtle Beach earlier this month in a rare and unusual stranding — and the reason behind the beaching remains a mystery. The 10-foot-long (3 meters) female was alive when locals saw it in the shallows on April 3. There were multiple...