Ocean Warming and "Warm-Blooded Sharks"
- Sharks4Kids
- 10 hours ago
- 1 min read
Author Adina Hoffman
Most sharks are ectotherms, meaning their body temperature matches the surrounding water, so they are cold-blooded. Some sharks, like the great white, longfin mako, shortfin mako, porbeagle, and salmon, are regionally endothermic (warm-blooded), meaning they can keep certain parts of their bodies warmer than the surrounding water. They have specialized blood vessels that function like a heat-exchange system, helping them stay warm. This helps them swim faster, travel farther, and hunt more effectively.
New studies show that warming oceans could be difficult for these warm-blooded sharks. They use almost four times more energy than cold-blooded fish of the same size. Also, if the water temperature increases by 10°C, their energy expenditure more than doubles. This means they need to eat much more food to get enough energy.
But that’s not all. As sharks get bigger, their bodies make heat faster than they can lose it. This makes larger fish more likely to stay warm inside. This can lead to overheating and might change where they can live and how they survive.
Overall, being a fast and strong predator in the ocean comes at a high cost, especially as the water warms. These sharks are reaching their limits, which could affect their homes and survival.
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White shark Credit: Jillian Morris
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