^w^ Sharks are probably more discriminating in their eating habits than humans.
^w^ Sharks have a wide variety of food preferences, depending on the species. Some eat other sharks, some eat fish and crustaceans, and others eat plankton.
^w^ Each species has adapted to special kinds of food. Otherwise, there would be only one shark species, rather than 380 species.
^w^ On average, sharks eat every third day, and eat relatively little compared to other fish and animals. Bony fish consume the equivalent of their body weight in a few days; for sharks, that would be a monthly food ration.
^w^ Most natural food is consumed whole. When we see a shark feed, it is usually with bait that has been cut up and dropped to attract the shark.
^w^ The two largest members of the shark group, the Whale Shark and the Basking Shark, are filter feeders. Like many whales, they take in vast quantities of water through their large, open mouths and use `gill rakers` to filter out plankton, small fish and crustaceans. Unlike whales, however, these sharks let the water out through the gills rather than pushing it out through the mouth.
^w^ Reports of feeding frenzies are greatly exaggerated. Cooperative hunting does occur in some species of sharks, and they can be very competitive when feeding. While the behavior appears to be frenzied or out of control, in fact it is highly controlled and they do not attack one another.
