Page 25 - Super Shark Encyclopedia

“Each harpoon
fires with the pressure ” of a bullet HARPOON IN MINIATURE You would need a microscope to see the tiny stingers in the skin of a tentacle. When touched, the stinger fires a venomous harpoon into the prey’s flesh. Hundreds of stingers fire at once, causing excruciating pain. AFTER FIRING BEFORE FIRING Empty stinging cell Each stinger contains a coiled-up harpoon Venomous harpoon shoots out Sharp barbs on the harpoon stick in the flesh of the victim

Dactylozooids grab prey and are entwined with stinging tentacles Tentacles have beadlike clumps of stingers Stingers remain dangerous even if tentacle is broken off Working together Members of this floating colony have different functions but they all work together as one. Many form long chains that hang down to sting and catch prey. Up nearer the float are shorter ones with mouths. As prey is dragged close, these reach out to suck and digest the flesh of the victim. blows on the floating prey as it goes. The amount of ga

200 When the wind “sail,” the colony 60 moves over the ocean, snagging 3

50 40 30 0.25–1.6 mph (0.4–2.5 km/h) 1.5 1 2 20% other animals
165 ft (50 m)
total length
150

100

AT A GLANCE • SIZE 33–165 ft (10–50 m) long • HABITAT Surface of the open ocean • LOCATION Worldwide in warm and tropical oceans • DIET Small floating animal plankton, such as young fish and shrimps STATS AND FACTS 50 ft 20 10 m 6 in (15 cm) height of gas bladder SAILING SPEED 0.5 mph 1 km/h 80% young fish AMAZING ANATOMY

HEIGHT
DIET

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