What is the food chain of a shark?

What is the food chain of a shark?

Sharks maintain fish populations by eating them. Those fish then eat smaller fish, which eat even smaller fish, etc., all the way down the food chain. If sharks went extinct, the entire composition of the food web would shift and cause a top-down trophic cascade.

What trophic level is a hammerhead shark?

Relative trophic level When estimated by size class, mean trophic level ranged from 4.6 to 5.1, increasing with size, indicating that the smooth hammerhead shark is a tertiary carnivore (Table 4; Cortés, 1999).

Why are sharks on top of the food chain?

As apex predators, sharks play an important role in the ecosystem by maintaining the species below them in the food chain and serving as an indicator for ocean health. They help remove the weak and the sick as well as keeping the balance with competitors helping to ensure species diversity.

Is a hammerhead shark a carnivore herbivore or omnivore?

Going green: One species of hammerhead, the bonnethead shark, is actually omnivorous, as it eats sea grass. Better hunters: The long heads of the hammerhead shark allow the sharks to spread out their special sensory organs, giving them a hunting advantage over other sharks.

Can sharks live without their fins?

The sharks are often still alive when discarded, but without their fins. Unable to swim effectively, they sink to the bottom of the ocean and die of suffocation or are eaten by other predators. Some countries have banned this practice and require the whole shark to be brought back to port before removing the fins.

Why is eating shark bad?

Shark meat has been shown to carry levels of toxic metals such as mercury that far exceed what is allowable for human consumption. A recent article demonstrates that sharks can also carry the dangerous and often fatal marine toxin ciguatoxin.

What is so special about shark fin soup?

Shark Fin Soup is a traditional soup or stewed dish served in parts of China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. The shark fins provide texture, while the taste comes from the other soup ingredients. It is commonly served at special occasions such as weddings and banquets, or as a luxury item.