In the planet's ecosystems it is common to find species that have the maximum role of predation within these habitats and, in the case of the oceans, sharks undoubtedly play this role. These animals belong to the chondrichthyan class, which includes what are commonly called cartilaginous fish, in which the skeletal system is made up of cartilage and not bone. In general, sharks are not usually small animals, although we find notable differences between some species, such as the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), which is the largest, or the small-eyed pygmy shark (Squaliolus aliae), which represents the smaller ones.
What are shark teeth like?
Sharks have jaws made of cartilage, like the entire skeleton, and this allows them greater mobility, that is, a large opening of the oral cavity. Some species of these animals can be quite aggressive when it comes to hunting prey, so their attacks generally denote high precision and force.
Sharks' teeth are made up of different types of teeth depending on the species, so we can find sharks that have teeth in the shape of saw, very sharp, with cutting function or special to hold with great force.
Generally, sharks have more than one row of teeth, in some cases this feature is easily noticeable, while in others it is only the entire dentition becomes visible when the mandible is widely expanded. On the other hand, a common feature in sharks is that their teeth are not fixed to the jaw, so their teeth come off easily, especially when they break or break, but they have an amazing regenerative capacity of these in a short time. weather. In this sense, sharks spend their lives replacing lost teeth, something that happens in a common way due to their aggressive way of hunting. This then allows us to say that sharks have eternal teeth
Next, let's learn about some particular examples of the teeth of some species of sharks.
How many teeth does a great white shark have?
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a species declared in a vulnerable state, which inhabits most of the tropical and temperate oceans, with a coastal and pelagic distribution. It is a large predator, with a fairly wide diet that includes marine mammals, other fish, and turtles.
It has a large mouth, with a conical and flattened snout, with powerful jaws that can open wide, so, depending on the size of the prey, they can ingest it completely, but if not it is possible, they hold it with great force until it tears.
The white shark's teeth are broad-based, particularly the upper ones, and their edges are serrated, without interdental spaces. They have two rows of main teeth and behind them they have two or even three more rows, which are used to gradually replace the teeth that are lost. As for the total number of teeth that an adult shark has, can be up to about 3 thousand in some cases. Remember that they have up to 5 rows of teeth in total in each jaw.
How many teeth does a tiger shark have?
The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) is considered one of the main apex predators within sharks. It inhabits a large number of marine ecosystems, being present in tropical and warm temperate waters around the world. Currently, it has been classified in the category of near threatened.
The tiger shark is capable of ingesting almost anything it can identify floating or swimming, in fact, remains of waste have been found in its digestive system. As for its diet, it can devour marine mammals, fish, even other sharks, turtles, sea snakes, crustaceans, squid, birds… This is one of the species with which some accidents with people have occurred.
The jaws of this species of shark are very powerful, which correspond to its large mouth with a short but wide snout. Tiger shark teeth are quite large, with serrated or ridge-like edges and very sharp, allowing them to crush and pierce very hard structures such as bone or the shell of the turtles. The serrated shape, for its part, means that when the prey is captured, it tears itself apart through the movement it makes when trying to free itself, as a result of the friction that the teeth exert on the victim's body. Find out more about hunting these animals in this other article: "How do sharks hunt?"
A tiger shark has about 40 teeth per row and usually has about three tooth lines in each jaw. As in other species, their teeth can be replaced quite easily.
How many teeth does a bull shark have?
The bull shark (Carcharias taurus) is a species that is in a vulnerable state and has a wide range of distribution in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, as well as in the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas, being present in warm subtropical waters, but also in some colder areas. Generally, it is found on the seabed, where it is seen floating, but it is also common on sandy bottoms and in caves.
It is an elongated shark with a robust body, brown or gray on the back and white on the ventral area. The head is not very large, with a flattened shape. It has three rows of teeth in each jaw, these teeth are characterized by being narrow and long, with smooth edges, conditioned to efficiently hold their prey and swallow them whole according to size. Their diet includes a wide variety of fish and even other small sharks.
How many teeth does a hammerhead shark have?
The hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) is a quite striking species due to its particular and prominent head in the shape of the letter T. It is distributed worldwide in various oceans, mainly in tropical and warm temperate waters. Their diet is based on a wide variety of fish, other sharks and manta rays. The current status of the hammerhead shark is critically endangered. Learn more about what sharks eat in this other article.
The hammerhead shark's teeth resemble a hook and are quite sharp, making it easy for them to tear apart their prey. They have two rows of teeth in both the upper and lower jaws and can have almost 80 teeth in totalJust like the other cases, they maintain the characteristic of being able to constantly renew the dental pieces.
In this article we have seen what the dental structure of some species of sharks is like, which has allowed us to verify that the description of marine apex predators has been well granted, since, indeed, they are like lethal machines to time to hunt thanks to its teeth.
There are not a few species of sharks that are in danger of extinction, either because they are the particular objective of fishing to be consumed as food or for supposed medicinal properties, but also due to accidental capture of the large nets that are used to catch other types of fish, which ultimately also ends up dragging many sharks that lose their lives in these events.
