Basking Sharks: Essay, Research Paper
The Basking Shark: Hope for the Future?
Introduction – What are the biological characteristics, habitat, and value of basking sharks?
I. Interrelated life forms populate the oceans.
A. Photoplankton synthesize food.
1. Using carbon dioxide
2. Dissolving minerals
3. Collecting sunlight energy
B. Small fish consume photoplankton.
C. Zooplankton eats minute plants.
1. Sea worms
2. Jellyfish
3. Crustaceans
D. Food chain ends with large creatures.
1. Whales
2. Sharks
E. Some of the largest creatures feed on the smallest.
II. Ocean creatures feed at various depths of the sea.
A. Most large creatures gather at the top layer of the ocean.
1. Food is plentiful.
2. Water is warm.
B. Small creatures feed on organic debris deep in the ocean.
1. Fish
2. Crustaceans
III. Fish species include 340 members.
A. Skates
B. Rays
C. Chimeras
D. Sharks
1. Not a bony fish
2. Skeleton made of cartilage
IV. Location of sharks
A. Marine waters
B. Tropical seas
C. Subtropical waters
V. Length of the shark varies.
A. Whale shark as great as 49 feet
B. Cookie-cutter shark as small as 19 inches
VI. Agressiveness varies.
A. Most appear to be aggressive carnivores.
B. Some of the largest are plankton-eaters.
VII. Sharks have not changed from the Cretaceous Period.
A. Caused by great diversity in behavior
B. Variety of sizes
C. Excellent adaptation skills
VIII. Sharks belong to class Chondrichthyes.
A. Scientific names of sharks
1. Whale sharks – rhincodon typus
2. Cookie-cutter sharks – Squaliolus laticaudus
3. Bull tiger shark – Galeocerdo cuvier
4. Spiny dogfish – Squalus ancanthias
5. Great White Shark – Carcharodon carcharias
6. Hammerhead shark – Sphymidae
7. Blue Shark – Prionace glauca
8. Basking Shark – Cetorhinus maximus
B. Skeletons of Chondrichthyans are made of cartilage.
1. Can be strenghened by deposits of minerals in areas of stress
a. jaws
b. vertebrae
2. Lighter than bone since sharks have no swim bladder
3. Material that is flexible for swimming and turning
4. Grows throughout life of shark
IX. Specific characteristics of the basking shark.
A. Found in temperate oceans
B. Length up to 43 feet
C. Swims near surface
1. Seen sunning near top of water
2. May be in variety of positions
a. back
b. side
c. high in water
D. Feeds on plankton
E. Enormous fish
F. Mouth is large
1. Wide
2. Small-toothed
G. Gill slits
1. Lined with long, bristle-like rakers
2. Five sets
3. Trap food of plankton
H. Originally hunted for its liver oil
I. Not known to be dangerous
J. Color blends with environment
1. Upper, dorsal surface is greyish brown
2. Lower, ventricle surface is white
3. Seen less by enemies
K. Fusiform body
1. Rounded and tapered at both ends
2. Reduces water friction
3. Requires minimum energy to swim
L. Placoid Scales
1. Regular pattern
2. Reduce friction
3. Different from centoid scales of bony fish
M. Characteristics of the head
1. Fins formed in half-moon pattern
2. Mouth on underside of head
3. Wide separation of nostrils
N. Characteristics of the teeth
1. Small
2. Great in number
3. Formed in parallel rows
4. Not meant for carniverous purposes
5. Rows of teeth develop continuously as replacements for functional teeth
6. Not used for attack purposes
X. Scientists have recorded measurements of the basking shark.
A. Babies are five to six feet at birth.
B. Pacific Ocean basking sharks
1. 23 feet long
2. 6,600 lbs.
C. Atlantic Ocean basking sharks
1. 30 feet long
2. 8,600 lbs.
D. Others have observed lengths from 35 – 50 feet.
XI. Sharks have been observed in many places.
A. Gulf of Maine swimming alone
B. Northeastern United States in large numbers
C. In winter, they move to warm climate
D. Known boundaries
1. North – Nova Scotia and Newfoundland
2. South – Mediterranean Sea
3. West – North Carolina
XII. Breeding patterns are largely unknown.
A. Produce live young
B. Ovaries contain six million immature eggs.
XIII. Sharks have been studied as a cure for cancer.
A. Ability to resist disease
B. Few tumors have been discovered by Smithsonian Institution
C. Do not form tumors when exposed to cancer-causing material
D. Studies may lead to help for cancer patients.
1. Immunoglobin (IgM) in shark?s blood attacks invading substances.
2. Shark cartilage may resist penetration by capillaries, shrinking tumors.
3. Drugs of cartilage may control spread of blood vessels that feed tumors.
E. Several science labs have studied the use of shark cartilage for cancer cures.
1. Dr. I. William Lane – Sharks Still Don?t Get Cancer
a. Studied in clinical trials at U.S. Food and Drug Administration
b. Stops formation of new blood vessels
c. Prevents cancerous tumors through process of antiangiogenesis
2. Jing Chen in 1989
a. Oil emulsion from the Cetorhinus maximus is brand new medicine.
b. Improvement of patient?s condition
(1) Weight increase
(2) Tumor shrinkage
(3) Life extension
3. Cancer Treatment Research Foundation study is disappointing.
a. Cartilade brand shark cartilage was ineffective against advanced cancer cases.
(1) Breast
(2) Colon
(3) Lung
(4) Prostate
b. None of the 47 patients showed even partial tumor reduction.
4. Current studies indicate inconclusive results.
Conclusion: Current investigations and modern knowledge of the basking shark have opened new
areas of study with implications for the health of man.
The Basking Shark: Hope for Cancer Cure?
The Basking Shark: Hope for a Cancer Cure?
The oceans of the world are populated with distinct but interrelated forms of life.
The nourishment for all ocean life originates in the sunlit surface layers, where
microscopic plants called phytoplankton use carbon dioxide, dissolved minerals,
and the energy of sunlight to synthesize food. Small fish and zooplankton -
drifting creatures such as sea worms, jellyfish and crustaceans – browse on these
minute plants, and the food value thus provided moves through successive steps of
predation, up the marine food web to the largest sea dwellers (Whipple 132).
Most of the whales, fish, and squids gather at the top layers of the ocean where the food is
plentiful and waters are warm. The fish and crustaceans of the depths are fed by organic debris -
excrement and corpses – that drifts down from the surface waters. The ocean food chain begins
with the small plankton and ends with the largest of the whales and sharks. Interestingly enough,
some of these largest species feed on the smallest of ocean creatures (Whipple 132).
The shark is a member of the three hundred forty species of fish that along with skates,
rays, and chimeras are sharply distinguished from the vast number of bony fish species by their
skeletons made of cartilage. Sharks are chiefly marine fish found in all seas and are especially
abundant in tropical and subtropical waters. They vary in size from the largest, the whale shark,
which is forty-nine feet in length to the cookie-cutter shark which is less than nineteen inches
long. Sharks are best known as agressive carnivores that even attack their own species. They eat
nearly all large marine animals in both shallow and deep seas. Two of the largest of the species,
however, eat only plankton (98 Encyclopedia).
The sharks that exist today have not changed much from those in the Cretaceous Period
which occured more than one hundred million years ago. This ability to live without much change
over many centuries is caused by their great diversity in behavior and in size, showing excellent
adaptation skills (98 Encyclopedia).
Sharks belong to the class Chondrichthyes along with the rays, skates, and other
cartilaginous fish. The whale shark is classified as Rhincodon typus, the cookie-cutter shark as
Squaliolus laticaudus, and the bull tiger shark as Galeocerdo cuvier, the spiny dogfish as Squalus
ancanthias, and the great white shark as Carcharodon carcharias. Hammerhead sharks make up
the family Sphymidae. The blue shark is named Prionace glauca. The basking shark is classified
as Cetorhinus maximus. It is this last shark species on which this paper concentrates (98
Encyclopedia).
Chondrichthyans differ from osteichthyans, or bony fishes, whose skeletons are
heavily calcified. A shark?s skeleton is made mostly of cartilage that can be
strengthened by deposits of minerals in areas subjected to special stress such as the
jaws and vertebrae. Cartilage is an ideal tissue for sharks for several reasons.
First, cartilage is lighter than bone, important for sharks which have no swim
bladder…Second, cartilage is a relatively flexible material, giving tensile force to
swimming and turning movements…Lastly, cartilage can grow throughout the life
of a shark (Sharks and Stats 1).
The basking shark is the common name for the enormous fish belonging to the shark
family. It is found in all temperate oceans and can reach a length of forty-three feet. The basking
shark usually swims near the surface of the water and feeds on plankton that is strained through
its wide, small-toothed mouth and five pairs of enormous gill slits. Each gill is lined with long,
bristlelike rakers that trap the plankton. The basking shark was once hunted for the large
quantities of oil contained in its liver, but this practice has been stopped. This shark is not known
to be dangerous, but its size demands respect (98 Encyclopedia).
The basking shark is a huge, greyish fish that is only second in size to the whale shark.
Like most sharks, it is characterized by a fusiform body which is rounded and tapered at
both ends. This streamlined, cylindrical shape reduces the friction of the water and requires a
minimum of energy to swim. In addition, the placoid scales which are arranged in a regular
pattern reduce the friction of the water by channeling the water flow over the body. These are
very different from the ctenoid scales of bony fish which overlap to provide both protection and
suppleness (Sharks and Stats 2).
The color of the upper surface of the basking shark is a greyish brown, slate grey, or even
black. The lower surface is usually white (Bigelow and Shroeder). This countershading, a type of
coloration in which the dorsal side is darker than the ventral side, enables the shark to blend with
the environment and be seen less easily by predators and prey (Sharks and Stats 1).
Observations from scientists have recorded a variety of measurements from thirty-five to
fifty feet in length. The babies are usually five to six feet when they are born. Estimated weights
for smaller twenty-three foot basking sharks from the Pacific Ocean are 6,600 pounds where the
larger thirty foot basking sharks from the Atlantic weigh as much as 8,600 pounds (Bigelow and
Schroeder 147).
The fins of the basking shark are shaped in a half moon pattern, the mouth is positioned
on the underside of the head, and there is a wide separation of nostrils from the mouth. The gills
are so large that they surround the neck of the basking shark with the first pair almost meeting
below the throat. On the inner margin of each gill are found a great number of thorny, bristle-like
rakers directed inward and forward. The mouth is very large and can open at the corners with
ease. On large specimens, the nose is short and cone-shaped with a rounded tip (Bigalow and
Schroeder 147).
The teeth of the basking shark are formed in parallel rows like those of other shark
species. These teeth are very small and great in number to match their function. These sharks
have no need to grow large, serrated teeth of the more carnivorous varieties. ?Several rows of
replacement teeth develop continuously throughout life behind the outer row of functional teeth?
(Sharks and Stats 2).
The basking shark is a large non-threatening fish that is often seen sunning itself on the
surface of the water and that is why it is named ?basking.? Because of its minute teeth, it is
helpless to attack. Often the shark suns itself with its back and dorsal fin high out of the water, on
its side, or even on its back (Bigelow and Schroeder).
Sometimes it loafs along with the snout out of the water, its mouth open, while gathering
its meal of plankton. The shark spends so little time paying attention to boats that it can easily
come within harpoon range of shark hunters. These sharks also have been seen jumping out of
the water (Bigelow and Schroeder 62).
Basking sharks are usually seen in the Gulf of Maine traveling alone. Sometimes,
however, they are seen in the northeastern United States and in the northern part of their range in
the Atlantic in loose schools that include as many as sixty to a hundred members. During the
warm part of the year, basking sharks are frequently seen in the northeastern United States. In the
winter, they often move to deeper water where the temperature of the water does not fall so low
(Bigelow and Shroeder).
The most interesting peculiarity of the basking shark is its curious diet. This large creature
eats wholly on tiny pelagic animals. It sifts these out of the water with its greatly developed gill
rakers, exactly like other plankton-feeders. Their stomachs have been found packed with minute
Crustacea; digestion is so rapid that the food swallowed is soon reduced to a soupy mass
(Bigelow and Schroeder).
Basking sharks produce live young like other sharks in their species although very little is
known about the structure of the breeding patterns. The female is known to have ovaries
containing six million immature eggs instead of the few that are prevalent in other sharks
(Bigelow and Schroeder).
The basking shark was originally thought to be an Artic species. Now, however, it is
known that it is an inhabitant of the North Atlantic and the thermal belts of the Atlantic and the
Pacific Oceans. The Northern boundary of the normal range of the basking shark of the North
Atlantic appears to be Nova Scotia and Newfoundland; the Southern boundary is as far as the
Mediterranean Sea. North Carolina appears to form the western boundary (Bigelow and
Schroeder).
At one time, basking sharks as well as sperm whales were commonly caught off the coast
of Massachusetts. Their precious oil was treasured as a source for lamp oil by the colonists.
However, their numbers were soon depleted by overfishing (Bigelow and Schroeder).
During the last twenty years, sharks and their relatives have been the object of serious
study particularly in the search for a cure for cancer:
Sharks and their relatives, the skates and rays, have enjoyed tremendous success
during their nearly 400 million years of existence on earth. One reason for this
certainly is their uncanny ability to resist disease…tumor incidence in these animals
is carefully monitored by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
(Luer 1).
In studies at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, Florida, scientists are experimenting
to determine whether tumors can be produced in sharks and skates by exposing them to potent
cancer-causing chemicals. No changes in the tissues of the sharks or their genetic material ever
resulted in cancerous tumors to be formed. After ten years of research, the scientists have
concluded that the resistence to disease can be explained by the immunoglobin (IgM) which
?circulates in the shark blood at very high levels and appears to be ready to attack invading
substances at all times…This information may someday lead to improved methods of immune cell
regulation in humans, especially cancer patients? (Luer 1-2).
In the 1980?s, studies conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and
at Mote Marine Laboratory tried to verify the value of using shark cartilage for both cancer and
arthritis:
These studies of cow and shark cartilage were designed to understand how
cartilage is naturally able to resist penetration by blood capillaries. If the basis for
this inhibition could be identified, it was reasoned, then it might lead to the
development of a new drug therapy. Such a drug could control the spread of
blood vessels feeding a cancerous tumor, or the inflammation associated with
arthritis (Luer 2).
The primary proponent of the benefits of shark cartilage has been Dr. I. William Lane. In
his book, Sharks Still Don?t Get Cancer, Lane claims that ?use of whole shark cartilage has
proven so effective as an alternative cancer therapy that it is now being studied in human clinical
trials conducted under the auspices of the United States Food and Drug Administration? (6).
The benefit of shark cartilage is touted as a therapy which stops the formation of new blood
vessels and, therefore, prevents the growth of cancerous tumors. This process was named
antiangiogenesis (anti = against, angio = blood, genesis = formation of) (8).
Research continues with the basking shark as a subject. In 1989, it was reported by Jing
Chen that an oil emulsion from the ?Cetorhinus maximus is a brand-new anti-carcinoma medicine
made from marine organisms. Marked improvement of the patient?s condition such as weight
increase, partial shrinkage of the swollen lump and life extension constitute the distinctive features
of oil emulsion of Cetorhinus maximus? (41-45).
Results of the largest current study announced in May, 1997, by the non-profit Cancer
Treatment Research Foundation in Arlington Heights, Illinois, were disappointing. The research
found that Cartilade brand shark cartilage was ineffective against advanced cases of breast, colon,
lung, and prostate cancer. None of the forty-seven patients showed even partial tumor reduction
after twelve weeks (Environmental Nutrition 7).
Although Lane?s work continues to be followed, research attempts to verify his work has
not been satisfactory. It was during a feature story on 60 Minutes when Mike Wallace
interviewed Lane in Cuba that the story became well-known in America. The results of the report
were inconclusive but the interest of the American people had been whetted (Braun 5).
The value of the shark has yet to be fully determined as a medical treatment for human
disease. However, the current investigations certainly have opened new areas of study for these
massive creatures of the warm oceans who have existed for millions of years. The shark may be
the key to man?s future.
The Basking Shark: Hope for the Future?
Introduction – What are the biological characteristics, habitat, and value of basking sharks?
I. Interrelated life forms populate the oceans.
A. Photoplankton synthesize food.
B. Small fish consume photoplankton.
C. Zooplankton eats minute plants.
D. Food chain ends with large creatures.
E. Some of the largest creatures feed on the smallest.
II. Ocean creatures feed at various depths of the sea.
A. Most large creatures gather at the top layer of the ocean.
B. Small creatures feed on organic debris deep in the ocean.
III. Fish species include 340 members.
A. Skates
B. Rays
C. Chimeras
D. Sharks
IV. Location of sharks
A. Marine waters
B. Tropical seas
C. Subtropical waters
V. Length of the shark varies.
A. Whale shark as great as 49 feet
B. Cookie-cutter shark as small as 19 inches
VI. Agressiveness varies.
A. Most appear to be aggressive carnivores.
B. Some of the largest are plankton-eaters.
VII. Sharks have not changed from the Cretaceous Period.
A. Caused by great diversity in behavior
B. Variety of sizes
C. Excellent adaptation skills
VIII. Sharks belong to class Chondrichthyes.
A. Scientific names of sharks
B. Skeletons of Chondrichthyans are made of cartilage.
IX. Specific characteristics of the basking shark.
A. Found in temperate oceans
B. Length up to 43 feet
C. Swims near surface
D. Feeds on plankton
E. Enormous fish
F. Mouth is large
G. Gill slits
H. Originally hunted for its liver oil
I. Not known to be dangerous
J. Color blends with environment
K. Fusiform body
L. Placoid Scales
M. Characteristics of the head
N. Characteristics of the teeth
X. Scientists have recorded measurements of the basking shark.
A. Babies are five to six feet at birth.
B. Pacific Ocean basking sharks
C. Atlantic Ocean basking sharks
D. Others have observed lengths from 35 – 50 feet.
XI. Sharks have been observed in many places.
A. Gulf of Maine swimming alone
B. Northeastern United States in large numbers
C. In winter, they move to warm climate
D. Known boundaries
XII. Breeding patterns are largely unknown.
A. Produce live young
B. Ovaries contain six million immature eggs.
XIII. Sharks have been studied as a cure for cancer.
A. Ability to resist disease
B. Few tumors have been discovered by Smithsonian Institution
C. Do not form tumors when exposed to cancer-causing material
D. Studies may lead to help for cancer patients.
E. Several science labs have studied the use of shark cartilage for cancer cures.
1. Dr. I. William Lane – Sharks Still Don?t Get Cancer
2. Jing Chen in 1989
3. Cancer Treatment Research Foundation study is disappointing.
4. Current studies indicate inconclusive results.
Conclusion: Current investigations and modern knowledge of the basking shark have opened new
areas of study with implications for the health of man.
Works Cited
?Basking Shark,? 98 Encyclopedia. Computer Software. California: Microsoft Encarta, 1998.
CD-ROM.
Bigelow and Schroeder. ?Fishes of the Gulf of Maine.? United States Government Printing
Office, 1953. Online. Internet. 25 Apr. 1998. Available: http://www.bigelowand
shroeder.com.
Braun, Wendy R. ?A Different Kind of Shark Attack (Shark Cartilage for Cancer Prevention).?
Medical Update. Abstract. Health Reference Center. Las Vegas-Clark County Library
District. 26 Apr. 1998. Sept. 1996: 5.
Chen, Jing, Weiguo Wang, Huozhong Zhang, et. al. ?Oil Emulsion of Cetorhinus Maximus in
Treating Malignant Tumors: A Clinical Observation of 45 Cases.? Online. Internet. 25
Apr. 1998. 41-45. Available: J.-MAR.-DRUGS-HAIYANG-YAOWU.
Lane, Dr. I William and Linda Comac. Sharks Still Don?t Get Cancer. Garden City Park, New
York: Avery Publishing Group, 1996.
Luer, Dr. Carl A. ?Sharks and Cancer.? Online. Internet. 25 Apr. 1998. Available:
http://marinelab. sarasota.fl.us/~rhueter/sharks/cancer.phtml.
?Shark,? 98 Encyclopedia. Computer Software. California: Microsoft Encarta, 1998.
CD-ROM.
?Shark Facts and Stats: General Characteristics.? Online. Internet. 25 Apr. 1998. Available:
http://www.marinelab.sarasota.fl.us/~rhueter/sharks/char.phtml.
?So Far, Shark Cartilage Is a Fishy Treatment For Cancer.? Environmental Nutrition. Abstract.
Health Reference Center. Las Vegas-Clark County Library District. 26 Apr. 1998. Sept.
1997: 7.
Whipple, A.B.C. Restless Oceans. Planet Earth Ser. Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books,
1983.