| Sharks
are often considered the most efficient predators in the sea. They
have extremely developed pectoral fins that allow greater stability
and maneuverability when catching fast-moving prey. Most sharks
swim continuously. Because they lack swim bladders, sharks sink
to the bottom when they stop swimming. Sharks breathe by extracting
oxygen from seawater as it passes over their gills; if they stop
swimming, the water circulation needed for respiration would cease,
resulting in suffocation. Other sharks, like the nurse shark and
blacktip reef shark, are capable of pumping water over their gills
as they rest on the ocean bottom.
|