The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey
Biggest of all fish and the best equipped for hunting, sharks live in every ocean. No natural predator except the killer whale threatens them, and they possess an extraordinary physiology…including those unrivaled jaws. They have become the stuff of movies, books, and nightmares, but some of what we commonly believe is fiction, not fact. Through the examination of case histories, including gruesome attacks on man, The Jaws of Death documents the truth. It discusses why sharks are...
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Biggest of all fish and the best equipped for hunting, sharks live in every ocean. No natural predator except the killer whale threatens them, and they possess an extraordinary physiology…including those unrivaled jaws. They have become the stuff of movies, books, and nightmares, but some of what we commonly believe is fiction, not fact. Through the examination of case histories, including gruesome attacks on man, The Jaws of Death documents the truth. It discusses why sharks are essential to the equilibrium of the marine biotope and what benefit they have provided to science and medicine. In addition to sharks, other “jaws of death” receive attention, including piranhas, crocodiles, and barracudas.
Preface9Acknowledgements11Introduction131.Statistics Versus MythsTotal numbers15Preconceived ideas172.An Historical AccountDevil sharks and god sharks23From myth to symbol28The reasons for fascination30Sharks and the media32A chapter of history353.An Extraordinary MachineDevilish jaws45A flawless set of teeth45Sequences of a bite48Feeding, appetite and digestion49Exceptional sensory organs55Hearing56Smell57The lateral line60The pit organs: "taste buds" on the back62An extraordinary eyesight64The visual system of the Great White Shark69The ampullae of Lorenzini: a unique organ70Hydrodynamics and performance74An organism for hydrodynamism75A predator with two gears81Variations and adaptations81Respiration834.Peculiarities and CuriositiesThe "Great White Death"87Innocent giants89The Tiger Shark: the "hyena of the seas"91Display swimming of the Grey Reef Shark92Motivation for an attack98The markings of the Oceanic White-tip: lure or identity badge?101Attacking nuclear submarines102The shark's companions1035.Attacks: Instructive DramasAccursed places107Shipwrecks: sites of unsuspected carnage115Boats are not always safe from attack131Determined attacks137Remarkable attacks144Courageous victims146Heroic rescuers148A painless torture153Post-mortem of an attack155Some impossible statistics159Preventive measures against sharks163Prevention through education164Prevention through facilities171Passive on-the-spot protection178Aggressive on-the-spot protection183Conclusion1866.Fact and SpeculationCaptivity and adaptability189The shark's brain191Reproduction and maturation192Reproduction192Maturation196Social behaviour and ecology of sharks196Theories of evolution and the shark1987.1001 Uses of a SharkThe shark as police-informer201The shark as alibi206Ecology and the fishing industry209The shark as a game fish214Shark cuisine220The shark memento221Sharkskin222The shark in pharmacy and in surgery223The shark and the cinema223The shark virility test2248.The Other Jaws of DeathPiranhas: myth or reality?227The Killer Whale229Crocodiles: fearsome predators230Elementary precautions235Barracudas: innocent animals unjustly accused2369.Directory239Glossary315Bibliography317
