Is it true that sharks have to keep moving after they attacks their prey?

Question

I rememeber in an episode of "The Sopranos", Tony's therapist was telling him that it had to do with their psychology, something about how if they stop and think about what they did, it would mess them up mentally or something? Any truth to this?

Answer 1

yes, they dont have an air sack in them to keep them afloat like most fish and dont eat stones to keep them down, so they must keep in constant motion or they will lie on the sea floor.

And no, they dont die when they stop swimming, it is possible for the to pass water though their gills when stationary on the floor. obviously water must be relatively shallow for themto do this. and in cases like the larger sharks, i.e. whale  + great white they have not been seen on an ocean floor unless sick or dying. hence the perception that if they stop moving they die

Answer 2

Yes. They can't "suck in" water to filter air in there gills, they have to have it pass over their gills. They start by test bites to identify if it is the taste of their normal prey because sharks are partially 'blind'. They have to bite, down, bite, down, swallow, continue on.

Answer 3

Sharks are cartilaginous fishes, they are composed of cartilage instead of a backbone. They must keep moving to allow water to pass through their gill slits and provide them with the oxygen needed for survival. And remember oxygen is needed to digest foods in the digestive system. So I think they do.

I hope it helps!! :)

--Arnela Mae

Answer 4

Sharks have to pass water over their gills by moving constantly.

Answer 5

It is not necessarily true for some species of sharks. Generally, yes, they have to constantly be swimming in order to breathe. When they have something in their mouth and cannot use their mouth to help pass water through their gills, they use 'spiracles', which is right behind their eye and can assist in breathing. They can also use spiracles when stationary to breathe.