Do sharks have tongue? Yes, sharks do have a tongue, known as basihyal. The basihyal is a thick piece of cartilage that is present on the lower part of the mouth. It is quite useless for most species of sharks except for some such as Carpet sharks, Cookiecutter sharks, and Bullhead sharks.
Sharks do have tongues
Sharks do have tongues, just like us human beings and many other animals. But shark’s tongues don’t serve the exact same purpose as it does for human beings.
A human tongue serves different functions – it’s a multi-purpose ■■■■■.
A human can use the tongue to taste the food, to move food around in the mouth, it is flexible and it also has many taste buds within the tongue. In addition to this, obviously, humans use their tongues to talk as well. The human tongue is considered the strongest muscle in the body by mass.
But shark’s tongue does not serve these purposes. Most researchers believe a shark’s tongue to be a short, chubby, and immovable ■■■■■ that serves no real purpose for the shark – not even the taste buds.
This is why a shark’s tongue or any other fish species’ tongue is not called a tongue, they are called “basihyal”.
Can sharks taste using their tongue?
It is through their tongues that humans taste and so do many other animals, but shockingly sharks do not have any taste buds in their tongues.
The taste buds of sharks are evenly distributed around the inside of their mouth.
These taste buds are located under a special lining inside its mouth and throat. This lining is called the “Papillae”. So the tongue or the basihyal does not play a role of the food tasting at all.
These taste buds are not highly sensitive, they only serve to let the shark know if the food is fine to edible enough to eat – sharks are not really considered as fussy eaters!
They swim throughout the day searching for food and pretty much eat whatever that’s edible. They don’t actually “taste” the flesh of their prey, they just eat whatever that is edible.
Three sharks that use their tongues
Most sharks have tongues that are immovable and largely unnecessary. But there are some species of sharks that have tongues that serve a reason. These are the carpet sharks, bullhead sharks, and cookie-cutter sharks
Carpet shark and bullhead shark tongues
Especially carpet sharks “orectoloboids” and bullhead sharks “heterodontoids” have various types of tongues than most other sharks.
They have tongues that are comparatively larger, flattener, and more flexible and movable. This means that these sharks can use this tongue to suck on to prey in conjunction with using their powerful pharyngeal muscles.
But before they fully consume their prey, they first partially swallow the victim and use the taste buds in the mouth to identify if the prey is edible enough to swallow or not.
Therefore, if the taste buds sense a familiar and edible taste, that means the prey is fine to be consumed, so the prey will then move down the through towards the stomach and be ingested.
Cookie-cutter shark tongue
Another type of shark that has a different type of tongue is the cookie-cutter shark.
They have tongues or basihyal that are comparatively larger than the usual sharks and are attached and strengthened by strong rectus cervices [throat muscles.
This structuring of the tongue means it is attached to the throat muscles, rather than the floor of the mouth.
So this makes it convenient for cookie-cutter sharks to suck “cookie-shaped” flesh bites out of their prey, mostly cetaceans, pinnipeds, pelagic fishes.
Cookie-cutter sharks rip their prey using their teeth opening the prey and then uses its basihyal to extract and suck the flesh and all the goodness.
The tongue for cookie-cutter sharks helps in use as an “■■■■ vacuum” feeding strategy, which is sucking the flesh of the prey.
Summary
Sharks that use their tongue are the carpet sharks, bullhead sharks, and cookie-cutter sharks.
Do sharks bite their tongue?
With sharp and piercing teeth, it is common to think sharks bite their tongue. However, when it comes to sharks, a shark’s tongues perform or work just like humans.
A shark’s tongue is mostly flat, immoveable, and largely secured to the floor of the mouth, but does have some flexibility. The muscles are spread out and contain nerve endings called proprioceptors.
Proprioceptors continuously monitor and regulate muscle tension and position which send constant and necessary signals to the brainstem.
The brainstem is continuously informed of the position of the tongue. This allows the brainstem to fully coordinate what the tongue is doing, be it biting, chewing, and even the size of the food particles.
This proper coordination subconsciously avoids the tongue from being bitten.
Can sharks stick their tongue out?
Sharks cannot stick their tongue out. For most sharks, the tongue is attached to the floor of the mouth, it’s made of cartilage, moves very little, and performs a limited function. They do not have a membrane under the tongue like humans do, and which allows us to have movement of the tongue.
Do sharks have jaw bones?
All sharks are carnivores, meaning that they only feed on other animals, not plants. This has major implications in terms of the strength and structure required from their jaws. The jaw needs to be powerful and flexible. It needs to grab and hold prey, and then rip and tear at it. Further, it needs to push moving prey into the mouth to be swallowed.
Sharks do not chew their food, but gulp it down in huge chunks. Because the shark’s skeleton contains no bone, but only cartilage, areas requiring extra strength and support, like the jaw, need special adaptations.
Are sharks vertebrates or invertebrates?
In the end, we found out that sharks are vertebrates under the class of fish known as cartilaginous fish. And, for emphasis, sharks are not invertebrates! They do not have bones, yes, but their cartilage forms a vertebral column which qualifies sharks as vertebrates!
They have a backbone (vertebrae), a spinal cord, and a notochord. This is what makes them vertebrates, just like us humans.
But don’t let the word “bone” confuse you. The difference is that the backbone of a shark is made of cartilage. While our human backbones are made up of a column of bones.
Do Sharks Have Lips?
Yes. Sharks have lips and their teeth are embedded in them. Amazingly, many people think the teeth are embedded in the jaw. However, this is not the case. Incredibly, the jaw is used to provide force while biting their prey. Without a doubt, this force allows them to be efficient hunters.
Do Sharks Have Ears?
Sharks do not have ears. Instead, they have a small opening on the side of their head. Amazingly, this leads to the inner ear. Incredibly, sharks might be able to hear prey up to a few miles away.
The inner ear includes a lateral line. Interestingly, this lets the shark detect pressure and changes in speed in the water. Without a doubt, it makes them a more efficient hunter. Impressively, sharks can sense frequencies that range from 25 Hertz to 50 Hertz. Lastly, this is thanks to their inner ear.
Do Sharks Have Hair?
No. Sharks do not have hair. Only mammals have hair. Mammals have fur and hair on the surface of their skin. Sharks have scales instead. Scales help them to swim.
Dolphins have hair. Dolphins are similar to sharks. However, dolphins are mammals. Sharks are not mammals. Sharks are actually fish.
Do Sharks Have Eyelashes?
No. Sharks do not have eyelashes. Humans have eyelashes to keep dirt out of their eyes. Sharks do not need to do this. Their eyes can deal with whatever the ocean throws at them.
Firstly, if sharks need to protect their eyes they will close or roll them. Secondly, some species such as the Great White shark will roll their eyes to protect them.
Here are six common myths about sharks and rays.
Myth 1: Sharks Must Swim Constantly, or They Die
Myth 2: Sharks are the Number One Cause of Animal-Related Deaths
Sharks are generally perceived as vicious predators. Well known movies such as Jaws have popularized this perception, making sharks some of the most feared creatures in the animal kingdom. However, this perception is based largely on myth. The reality is that only a handful of the more than 350 species of shark in the world’s oceans are considered dangerous to humans.
Myth 3: All Rays Have Poisonous Stingers
Myth 4: Sharks Can Detect a Single Drop of Blood in the Ocean
Sharks are often portrayed as having an almost supernatural sense of smell. However, reports that sharks can smell a single drop of blood in a vast ocean are greatly exaggerated. While some sharks can detect blood at one part per million, that hardly qualifies as the entire ocean. Sharks do, however, have an acute sense of smell and a sensitive olfactory system–much more so than humans.
Myth 5: Sharks Don’t Get Cancer
The idea that sharks don’t get cancer seems to stem from scant clinical evidence that cartilage has antiangiogenic properties–i.e., it inhibits the development of blood vessels, which are crucial to the growth of cancerous tumors–and since shark skeletons are made of cartilage, it follows (albeit somewhat loosely) that they can’t get cancer. Recent studies and literature reviews have found that while the incidence of cancer in sharks and related fishes such as rays does seem to be low, cancerous tumors, including chondromas (cancers of the cartilage), have in fact been found in sharks.
Did you know? 
Sharks can gestate for up to two years. The Indian elephant has a gestation period of 22 months; humans, nine months; and mice, a mere three weeks.
Sharks have been around since well before the Age of Dinosaurs. Their evolutionary record extends back 450 million years.
Sharks and rays are cosmopolitan in distribution. They are found in waters all over the planet, from shallow coastal waters to the dark depths of the open ocean, from tropical seas to the Arctic and Antarctic regions, and even in salt water and fresh water.
Shark skin, or shagreen, feels rough if you stroke it in one direction (back to front), but smooth if you stroke it in the other (front to back). Shark skin is covered with modified scales, known as dermal denticles, which contribute to their superb hydrodynamics. Fabric for high-tech racing swimsuits, seen in recent Olympic competition, has been modeled after it as this design reduces drag and turbulence.
15 Interesting information about sharks:
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The largest shark, and also the largest fish in the ocean is the whale shark (Rhincodon typus). This massive plankton-feeder reaches lengths of over 20 metres (60 feet).
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The smallest shark is a deepwater dogfish shark known as the dwarf lanternshark (Etmopterus perryi). This species which is found in the Caribbean Sea is mature at under 20 centimetres (~8 inches).
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The fastest shark is the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus).
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The shortfin mako has been recorded to reach burst swimming speeds of up to 43 mph (70 km/h). It can chase down some of the fastest fishes such as tuna and swordfish.
Is a shark a mammal, a reptile, or a fish?
These are common misunderstandings about sharks. No, a shark is not a mammal like whales, nor is it a reptile like alligators**. A shark is actually a fish!**
How many bones does a shark’s skeleton have?
That’s a trick question – the answer is none! Sharks are cartilaginous fish, meaning that their skeletons are made entirely of cartilage (the same squishy material that is found in our human nose and ears).
Can sharks smell?
Yes, amazingly well. Their sense of smell is so powerful that sharks can detect a blood drop in an Olympic-sized pool.
Which shark has the biggest teeth?
The prehistoric Megalodon was the largest shark to have ever lived, and its teeth could grow up to seven inches long . Relative to body size, the Cookiecutter Shark has the largest teeth. This species is rather small, but it uses the large teeth in its round mouth to take cookie-sized bites from the flesh of larger marine creatures, like dolphins.
How strong is a shark’s bite?
Unbelievably, a shark bite can generate up to 40,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.
Will sharks drown if they stop swimming?
Yes, some sharks need to swim continuously to stay alive. Sharks obtain oxygen for breathing from the water that flows over their gills. If they stop swimming, no more water flow means no more oxygen, so breathing stops. However, some bottom-dwelling sharks have adaptations for breathing even while they are still on the seafloor. For example, carpet sharks and some other species have spiracles behind their eyes that aid with breathing.
How strong is a shark’s bite?
Unbelievably, a shark bite can generate up to 40,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.
How much do sharks eat in a day?
Some sharks seem to eat all the time. For example, the Great White Shark is always on the hunt: in a year it eats 11 tons of food! (An average person eats more like half a ton of food per year). The Blue Shark is a glutton: it will eat until it regurgitates, and then go right back to eating. Most sharks eat a meal every couple of days. If necessary, though, they can go for a few weeks without eating. Like people and most other animals, sharks can store extra energy as fat, for use later when food is limited.
Sharks shed teeth their whole lives.
Sharks have many teeth arranged in layers so if any break off, new sharp teeth can immediately take their place. Sharks can shed thousands of teeth during their life, this is why sharks teeth can be found washed onto beaches.
Shark teeth also fossilize easily while the rest of the shark decomposes.
Sharks have an excellent sense of hearing with ears located inside their heads on both sides rather than external ears like humans. Sharks can hear best at frequencies below 1,000 Hertz which is the range of most natural aquatic sounds. This sense of hearing helps shark locate potential prey swimming and splashing in the water. Sharks also use their lateral line system to pick up vibrations and sounds.
Sharks have eyes that are similar to the human eye with some exceptions.
Sharks have the ability to open and close the pupil in response to differing light situations similar to humans while most fish do not possess this ability. A shark’s eye also includes a cornea, iris, lens, and retina. Rods and cones are located in the shark’s retina, allowing the shark to see in differing light situations as well as to see color and detail. Although it was once thought that sharks had very poor vision, we now know that sharks have sharp vision. Research has shown that sharks may be more than 10x as sensitive to light as humans. Scientists also believe that sharks may be far-sighted, able to see better at distance rather than close-up, due to the structure of the eye. Vision varies among species of sharks due to differences in the size, focusing ability, and strength of the eyes.
Shark skin feels exactly like sandpaper.
It is made up of tiny teeth-like structures called placoid scales, also known as dermal denticles. These scales point towards the tail and help to reduce friction from surrounding water when the shark swims.
Summary:
Sharks eat fish, crustaceans, mollusks, plankton, marine mammals, and even other sharks. Their strong sense of smell allows them to detect blood in the water miles away. Most sharks are cold-blooded. But some sharks, such as the great white shark, are warm-blooded, which enables them to grow and swim faster.
Frequently Asked Questions 
1- Do sharks fart?
They let air out in the form of a fart when they want to lose buoyancy. As for other shark species, well we really just don’t know! Though the Smithsonian Animal Answer Guide confirms that captive sand tiger sharks have been known to expel gas bubbles out their cloaca, there really isn’t much else out there about this.
2- What animals’ don’t have tongues?
Other animals naturally have no tongues, such as sea stars, sea urchins, and other echinoderms, as well as crustaceans, says Chris Mah via email. Mah is a marine invertebrate zoologist at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and has discovered numerous species of sea stars.
3- Can a shark kill a whale?
While great white sharks are unlikely to kill whales on a regular basis – as a fully-grown whale can inflict serious damage just by hitting a shark with its tail – apex predators are responsible for keeping ecosystems in balance.
4- Why do sharks need to swim?
All sharks has their oxygen intake from water so they can breathe. But sharks like these ones can’t pump water over their gills. So to be alive, the sharks have to constantly swim forward. This keeps water filtering through their gills, so they’re always taking in oxygen to breathe.
5- What to do if a shark is chasing you?
Try to maintain eye contact with the shark. Stay calm. Keep your eyes on it. Show them you’re a predator, as well." If a shark approaches, you can push them away. You don’t want to start a fight you are likely to lose, but you may avoid one by letting the shark know you’re not docile.
6- What are sharks scared of?
Great white sharks are mostly thought of as the most fearsome predators in the ocean. But even these sharks are afraid of something. A new study found that when great whites have encountered killer whales, or orcas, near their hunting grounds, they’ve fled and stayed away.
7- What animals don’t have eyes?
Researchers said on Thursday that the red brittle star, called Ophiocoma wendtii, is only the second creature known to be able to see without having eyes - known as an extraocular vision - joining a single species of sea urchin.
8- Are sharks blind?
Their study shows that although the eyes of sharks function over a wide range of light levels, they only have a single long-wavelength-sensitive cone type in the retina and therefore are potentially totally color blind
9- What color do sharks hate?
Since sharks see contrast colors, anything that is very bright against lighter or darker skin can look like a bait fish to a shark. For this reason, he suggests swimmers avoid wearing yellow, white, or even bathing suits with contrasting colors, like black and white.
10- Can Sharks Smell Fear?
No, they can’t. The sense of smell of a shark is strong, and they can smell everything that interacts with their sensory cell on their nares, but this doesn’t include feelings such as fear. But you need to remember that sharks don’t rely only on just their sense of smell.
Conclusion:
Sharks do have a tongue, known as basihyal. The basihyal is a thick piece of cartilage that is located on the lower part of the mouth.
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