the.com/shark
the ancient apex that out-survived dinosaurs, trees, and Saturn's rings without ever needing legs.
means A cartilaginous, predatory fish — sleek, toothy, and built to hunt — or, figuratively, a ruthless person who preys on others, especially in money or cards.
from The fish-name 'shark' surfaces in English in the 16th century, and nobody is quite sure where it swam in from — one leading guess connects it to German 'Schurke,' a scoundrel or villain, which would make the predator named after the cheat rather than the other way round. The human 'shark' (a swindler, a card-sharp, a loan shark) grew up alongside it, the two senses feeding each other across the centuries until 'loan shark' and 'pool shark' became the everyday faces of a word whose deepest origins remain, fittingly, murky water.
- older than
- predates trees by 50 million years
- no bones
- entire skeleton made of cartilage
- endless teeth
- loses and regrows up to 50000
- electro sense
- detects prey's heartbeat through pure electricity
- never sleeps
- some must swim forever or suffocate
great white shark — apex predator found worldwide, can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh 5,000 pounds
tiger shark — aggressive species in tropical and subtropical waters, responsible for more recorded attacks than any other except great whites
hammerhead shark — distinctive flattened head shape found in all oceans, uses it to sense prey buried in sand
whale shark — largest fish on earth at up to 60 feet long, filter feeder found in tropical oceans