Shark: Endangered Predator of the Sea

Patrick Colgan is the executive director of the Canadian Museum of
Nature in Ottawa.

No group of species has a larger or more menacing reputation than
sharks. Snyderman seeks to debunk some of the myths about these animals.
His examination of their natural history is thorough: diversity across
350 species, differences from other fish, adaptations, muscle types,
body temperature, intrauterine cannibalism, and senses (including
electrical). The review of their evolution, adaptations, and current
distribution would have been enhanced by the inclusion of appropriate
temporal, anatomical, and spatial illustrations.

The chapter recounting Snyderman’s personal “shark” adventures
(which occurred during extensive filmmaking in many locations) is a
great asset, as is the following one, which explores the high-profile
but little-understood issue of attacks. The final chapter provides the
basis for the book’s subtitle, “Endangered Predator of the Sea”:
for every human death caused by a shark, there are currently about a
million in the other direction, attributable to such things as the human
appetite for fin soup and the “incidental kill” of drift nets.

Snyderman’s discussion of conservation ethics, the slow reproduction
of sharks, and endangered species and population is very valuable. His
text is direct and chatty, and his abundant photographs of sharks and
other marine creatures are stunning. All in all, this book provides a
striking perspective on sharks.