Sharks AIDGAP
PDF eBook
Sharks AIDGAP is an identification guide to the sharks seen around the coasts of Britain and Ireland.
- Field and lab identification of 21 species
- Illustrated with line drawings throughout
As well as a key, brief details of the biology and general natural history of each species are presented. Suggestions are made for further reading.
Sharks (Class Chondrichthyes, super-order Selachii) first appeared in world’s oceans some 400 million years ago. At present, there are approximately 350 living species known worldwide. Relatively few of these species occur in the shallow waters around Britain and Ireland. Of these, 15 species are residents, 5 are seasonal migrants and 1 is a common vagrant. Despite their popular image, sharks are timid creatures that face a much greater threat from people than the hazard that people face from sharks.
This guide is part of Field Studies Council’s AIDGAP series (Aids to Identification in Difficult Groups of Animals and Plants). Our AIDGAP guides are accessible identification keys, suitable for non-specialists from age 16+. As with all guides in the series, the Sharks AIDGAP underwent extensive testing before publication, by beginners and specialists alike. The author has revised this, the first published version, in the light of the testers’ experience.