Shark Week 2020
Shark Week 2020
Its no secret that I love sharks. I enjoy drawing and show them in cute, fun, and positive ways - my hope is that I can help change people's perceptions of these amazing animals. One of my favorite parts of this is showcasing different species - especially lesser known species - and using it as a way to show people just how many sharks there are and how truly amazing each and every species is.
Every year, for Shark Week, I release five new shark friends and educate fans on the unique traits of each shark. When I design these sharks, great care is taken to make sure that they look and feel like the real shark species/family that they are based on.
Take a look below at my 5 new sharks for Shark Week 2020 and get your fins on brand new merch!
Interested in the other 45 shark friends? Check out the full list of shark friends here!
SUPPER, the Finback Catshark
Finback catsharks are a small family of sharks (7 species) found in warm seas worldwide. They're generally small (less than 3ft), slow-moving predators that feed on bony fish and small invertebrates.
Supper is based specifically off of a Graceful Catshark - a rare species found in East Asia. They live at depths of 165ft - 330ft and feed on bottom-dwelling cephalopods, fish, and crustaceans. Very little is known about their biology, but they're known to lay eggs.
SHAKE, the Blind Shark
There are only two species of Blind Sharks, both of which are native to shallow coastal waters off the coast of Australia. They are distinguished by the presence of long barbels, and large spiracles. Blind sharks have fully functioning eyes, but the name comes from a defense mechanism where they close their eyes tight when caught by fishermen.
These nocturnal sharks often roam in tidal pools, where they can be trapped by receding tides - they can survive for an extended period out of the water. Their diet primarily consists of small invertebrates and bony fishes.
CHIP, the Dogfish Shark
Dogfish sharks are a family of sharks consisting of about 33 species and are some of the most abundant sharks in the world. . They have two dorsal fins, no anal fin, and their skin is rough to the touch. Dogfish tend to have more slender, compact bodies, in comparison to other sharks, with a pointed snout. They got the name "dogfish" due to hunting in dog-like packs.
Chip is specifically based on the Pacific spiny dogfish, found mostly in the North Pacific Ocan. They grow up to about 52 inches long and can live up to 100 years. They eat other fish, octopus, squid, and crustaceans. This species is more vulnerable to threats due to a combination of slow growth rate, a late maturation, a slow reproductive rate, and a long gestation period.
SLASH, the Gulper Shark
Gulper sharks are a family of sharks that contains about 18 species. They range in size between 2.6ft - 5.4ft in length. Most sharks in this family aren't well known, since many live in the deep, on the ocean floor. We do know that their usual prey is other fish, as well as squid, octopus, and shrimp.
Slash is specifically based on the Arrowhead Dogfish; a very rare, an little-known deepwater shark. They have extremely long, angular snouts, no anal fin, pitchfork-shaped dermal denticles, as well as long dorsal spikes in front of both dorsal fins. They are small - reaching a maximum o 2.5ft.
CRUNCH, the Crocodile Shark
Crocodile sharks are the smallest living species of mackerel sharks; typically only getting to about 3.3ft in length. They are found in tropical waters worldwide at depths of about 2000ft - they stay in the depths during the day and ascend into shallow waters at night to feed.
They are an active hunter, feeding on bony fish, squid, and shrimp. Crocodile sharks can be distinguished by their extremely large eyes (adapted for hunting in the dark) and relatively small fins. They got the name crocodile shark due to their sharp teeth and a habit of snapping vigorously when taken out of the water.