Sharks

Two-headed smooth-hound (Mustelus)

A Two-Headed Shark and Other X-Rayed Beauties at the Smithsonian

Sandra Raredon's x-rays of fish specimens are critical records for scientists studying various species. And, as works of art, they are breathtaking

A 16th-century illustration of imaginary sea monsters from Cosmographia by Sebastian Mustern, based on creatures from Carta Marina by Olaus Magnus.

Sharks Were Once Called Sea Dogs, And Other Little-Known Facts

Centuries-old illustrations of sharks show just how much we've learned about the fish since our first sightings of them

A great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) in South Africa shows its jaws.

The State of Sharks, 40 Years After <em>Jaws</em>

We could be at a tipping point for conserving the infamous predators, if we can keep up shark-friendly practices

Dogfish shark denticles viewed using a scanning electron microscope.

Why Are Scientists Trying To Make Fake Shark Skin?

Faux marine animal skin could make swimmers faster, keep bathrooms clean and cloak underwater robots

Madison Stewart, Shark Girl

The Girl Who Swims With Sharks

A new Smithsonian Channel documentary features "Shark Girl," a fearless 20-year-old Aussie who has spent hundreds of hours swimming with the creatures

Crowdfunding Science Just Got More Fun: You Can Name And Track Your Own Wild Shark

If you help science, science will help you adopt a shark

A scene from the whale shark processing factory, where the endangered species are turned into meat, medicinal supplements and cosmetics.

A Factory in China Is Slaughtering Endangered Whale Sharks

A Chinese non-profit wildlife organization exposed what they believe to be the largest whale shark-processing factory in the world

Great White Sharks Swim Up, Down, Far, Wide—All Over the Place, Really—And We Had No Idea

Satellite tags map great white shark movements

Sharks Can Sense When Your Back Is Turned

New research suggests that sharks can sense where you can't see, and will approach just outside your field of vision

Guadalupe White Shark

Great White Sharks Are Being Killed Before They Can Become Truly Gigantic

Sharks aren't shrinking, they're just being hunted and inadvertently killed by fishing nets so often that they're no longer living long enough to grow up

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The Worst Shark Attack in History

In 1945, a U.S. naval ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine, but the ship's sinking was just the beginning of the sailors' nightmare

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Best Shark Photographs from the Last Ten Years of Photo Contests

Getting the perfect shot requires great timing, the right equipment and nerves of steel

Frilled Shark

The Scariest Monsters of the Deep Sea

We took the spook-tacular celebration to the depths of the ocean, where some of the craziest—and scariest—looking creatures lurk in the dark

In 1916, a great white shark attacked five people near the Jersey Shore.

The Shark Attacks That Were the Inspiration for Jaws

One rogue shark. Five victims. A mysterious threat. And the era of the killer great white was born

Weighing up to several tons, whale sharks are also notable for their markings. Each pattern of spots is unique and scientists identify individual fish using computer programs first developed to study star constellations.

Swimming With Whale Sharks

Wildlife researchers and tourists are heading to a tiny Mexican village to learn about the mystery of the largest fish in the sea

There are 50 to 70 reported shark attacks on humans each year, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Stopping Sharks by Blasting Their Senses

Chemist and businessman Eric Stroud develops shark repellents to protect sharks from being ensnared in commercial fisheries

It may be hard to fathom, but many great white encounters with humans are investigative, not predatory. (A great white attacks a seal decoy in False Bay.) They’re just curious, Compagno says.

Forget Jaws, Now it's . . . Brains!

Great white sharks are typecast, say experts. The creatures are socially sophisticated and, yes, smart

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Sense and Sensitivity

Great whites have tiny brains but powerful sensory organs

Some mostly solitary species (such as these whitetip reef sharks near Costa Rica) gather to feed or mate.

Shark

Recent attacks on people off the Florida coast are a reminder of the animal's fierce nature. Yet scientists say the predator is itself in grave danger

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