Shark Week Trivia

It's that time of year again when we all gather around our TVs to watch Shark Week. This annual event has been a staple of summer programming for over 30 years.

Sharks are fascinating creatures that capture our imaginations and inspire awe and fear in equal measure.

But how much do you really know about these apex predators? Test your knowledge with these Shark Week trivia questions and answers.

For more quizzes, see our trivia quiz sitemap.

Shark Week Trivia Questions and Answers

1. What is the largest species of shark?
   Answer: The whale shark.
2. What is the smallest species of shark?
   Answer: The dwarf lanternshark.
3. How many species of sharks are there?
   Answer: Over 500 species.
4. What is the average lifespan of a shark?
   Answer: It varies by species, but many sharks can live for several decades.
5. What is the fastest species of shark?
   Answer: The shortfin mako shark.
6. What is the scientific name for the great white shark?
   Answer: Carcharodon carcharias.
7. What is the scientific name for the hammerhead shark?
   Answer: Sphyrna.
8. What is the scientific name for the tiger shark?
   Answer: Galeocerdo cuvier.
9. What is the scientific name for the bull shark?
   Answer: Carcharhinus leucas.
10. What is the scientific name for the blacktip shark?
    Answer: Carcharhinus limbatus.
11. What is the scientific name for the lemon shark?
    Answer: Negaprion brevirostris.
12. What is the scientific name for the nurse shark?
    Answer: Ginglymostoma cirratum.
13. What is the scientific name for the sand tiger shark?
    Answer: Carcharias taurus.
14. What is the scientific name for the thresher shark?
    Answer: Alopias vulpinus (common thresher), Alopias superciliosus (bigeye thresher), Alopias pelagicus (pelagic thresher).
15. What is the scientific name for the blue shark?
    Answer: Prionace glauca.
16. How many rows of teeth do sharks have?
    Answer: Most sharks have 5-15 rows of teeth in each jaw, but some species can have up to 50 rows of teeth!
17. Do sharks have bones?
    Answer: No, sharks have a skeleton made of cartilage instead of bone.
18. Do sharks lay eggs or give live birth?
    Answer: Some sharks lay eggs (oviparous), some give live birth (viviparous), and some have a combination of both (ovoviviparous).
19. Can sharks see in color?
    Answer: It's not known for certain, but most scientists believe that sharks see in shades of gray rather than in color.
20. Can sharks smell blood from a long distance away?
    Answer: Yes, some species of sharks can detect a drop of blood in an Olympic-sized swimming pool!
21. Do all sharks have to keep swimming to breathe?
    Answer: No, some species of sharks can pump water over their gills while stationary, but many species do need to keep swimming to breathe efficiently.
22. Do all sharks have dorsal fins?
    Answer: Yes, all sharks have at least one dorsal fin on their back, and many species have two dorsal fins!
23. Are all sharks carnivores?
    Answer: No, not all sharks are carnivores - some species are filter feeders and eat plankton and small fish!
24. Are all sharks dangerous to humans?
    Answer: No, only a small number of shark species are considered dangerous to humans!
25. How many people are killed by sharks each year on average?
    Answer: On average, about 6 people are killed by sharks each year worldwide!
26. What do you call a group of Sharks?
    Answer : A group of Sharks is called a Shiver or School or Shoal
27. What is special about a Sharks skin? Answer : A Sharks skin feels like sandpaper because it's made up of tiny scales called dermal denticles
28. What do Sharks use their fins for? Answer : Sharks use their fins to help them swim and steer through water
29. How do Sharks hear? Answer : Sharks hear through their lateral line system which picks up vibrations in water
30. What do Sharks use their Ampullae Lorenzini for? Answer : Sharks use their Ampullae Lorenzini to detect electric fields in water