Great white sharks often attack their prey from below.
There are hundreds of species of sharks in the world, all with slightly different eating habits. An individual description of the diets of each family of sharks would be impossible, but there are some general consistencies throughout. For example, all sharks eat meat to some degree. Sharks are to the oceans what lions are to the African plains, which means they are at the top of their respective food chains. They often eliminate sick and weak animals and contribute to the “survival of the fittest” in their kingdoms. Perhaps ironically, the largest of all sharks, known as the whale shark, feeds almost exclusively on small fish and plankton.
Many sharks feed on squid.
Popular culture tends to cast sharks in the role of dangerous and belligerent animals that attack humans at the slightest provocation. While it is true that some shark species go after large prey such as seals and other marine mammals, they only threaten humans when they feel threatened. Most sharks will eat a little of what they find in their local area. This is not only because this is the most convenient option, but also because sharks generally only eat once every two or three days, and when they do, it can be up to three percent of their total body weight. Almost everything in the sea is eaten by some kind of shark.
Tiger sharks often eat seabirds.
The types of food that generally attract the most sharks are things like squid, medium-sized fish, and some types of crustaceans. Some sharks are known to swallow non-food items from land that find their way into the oceans, such as license plates and other man-made objects. Tiger sharks are the best example of this type of feeding. These sharks eat basically anything in their path, including large seabirds and turtles, and have earned a reputation for being greedy and opportunistic eaters because of this.
Some sharks go after large prey like seals.
To make possible the wide variety of things that sharks eat, they have evolved many different feeding mechanisms. In species that primarily eat meat, many rows of sharp teeth rip and tear at their food, constantly replacing themselves as they fall. However, sharks do not chew well and proper digestion can take some time. That’s one of the reasons his meals are as rare as they are. Some shark species eat mainly plankton and smaller marine life, so their jaw structure is looser and oddly shaped, allowing them to sniff out prey on the seafloor or obtain food in other unusual ways.