Oceanic whitetip shark, Carcharhinus longimanus Shark is the
common name for any member of several orders of cartilaginous
fish comprising the taxonomic group Selachimorpha (generally a
superorder) of the subclass Elasmobranchii of the class
Chondrichthyes. Sharks are characterized by a streamlined body,
five to seven gill slits, replaceable teeth, and a covering of
dermal denticles (toothlike scales) to protect their skin from
damage and parasites and to improve fluid dynamics (Budker
1971). Unlike the closely related rays, sharks have lateral gill
openings, pectoral girdle halves not joined dorsally, and the
anterior edge of the pectoral fin is not attached to the side of
the head (Nelson 1994). Due to a short history of shark attacks
on humans, most sharks inspire fear in many people. But the
reality is that only a few of over 350 species of shark are
responsible for most attacks, and even these are rare and often
provoked, such as a diver grabbing or feeding a shark, or a
fisherman handling a caught shark