Author's Note:
This is number 43 in the series of my hypothetical 'new boyfriends'.

The creatures I have written about previously are: Penguin, Chimpanzee, Whale, Albatross, Rabbit, Bull, Cat, Dog, Pig, Horse, Grey Parrot, Snake, Polar Bear, Bee, Octopus, Goat, Vampire Bat, Swan, Snail, Elephant, Flamingo, Kangaroo, Rainbow Trout, Dung Beetle, Beaver, Swordfish, Giraffe, Mouse, Sheep, Pigeon, Gnu, Porcupine, Centipede, Cheetah, Alligator, Owl, Seahorse, Tortoise, Praying Mantis, Fur Seal, Squirrel, Condor.

SHARKS are a group of fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are the sister group to the rays. The earliest known sharks date back to more than 420 million years ago. Sharks have now diversified to over 500 species.

People are afraid if they pee or bleed in the sea, sharks are going to sniff them out and eat them.The idea that sharks have the best noses in the ocean may be partly inspired by our fears of the toothy predators. In scientific circles, the shark's reputation is based on its anatomy. Unlike human beings, sharks have separate openings for breathing and smelling. Gills on the sides of their heads capture oxygen in the water, while two nostrils at the front of the face pull water into a nasal chamber where smells are detected. The amount of tissue in this cavity, folded over plates called lamellae, is huge in sharks compared to other fishes. Scientists have long thought that this greater surface area gives sharks a better sense of smell.

Sharks have numerous sets of replaceable teeth, all the better to eat you with. Well-known species such as the tiger shark, blue shark, great white shark, mako shark, thresher shark, and hammerhead shark are apex predators - organisms at the top of their underwater food chain.

To add a gruesome note: Holiday horror! Last week a British tourist was chomped by a shark during a luxury trip to celebrate his wife's 40th birthday while swimming in what was deemed a safe lagoon. The victim was snorkelling by himself in waters off the Reunion Island, a French department in the Indian Ocean, where four sharks were later caught. He was identified by his wedding ring after his severed hand and forearm were found in the stomach of a 13-ft long tiger shark.

The are numerous shark attack hot spots internationally. Being Australian, I am well aware how sharks strike fear into the hearts of timid swimmers. I just don't go swimming!
Attacks polarise opinion: there are those who think the sharks should be hunted and killed so they don't pose a threat, and the rest of us who think it is the humans who are the threat by invading the creatures' habitat.

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