Sharks also need friends

Notorious for its cruelty and lonely lifestyle, but recent evidence suggests that some sharks still want to build complex, long-term social relationships.

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New research on the Animal Behavior Journal has revealed for the first time an unprecedented aspect of sharks. Lead researcher Johann Mourier (of the Center for Environmental and Island Research) said his team has identified a group of black fin sharks organized into six large and small communities. While gray sharks and hammerhead sharks form opposing groups, with each individual having its own area.

Sharks are not alone as humans think

Mourier and colleagues deployed a project in Moorea Island belonging to the French Polynesia Islands. Experts made dive trips that lasted nearly 1 hour at a depth of 15m. After analyzing the data, they found that the sharks present in these places did not gather randomly, but organized themselves into meaningful social communities.'There are four groups that are sexually mixed communities, in which individuals tend to interact more often with other individuals of the same gender and body length , ' Mourier said. Black fin sharks mature at 7 years, about 1 meter long. Females are slightly larger than males.

Mourier doubts sharks gather together to become the best community to protect and avoid aggression. He and his colleagues also observed an unusual point, when a group of about 4 - 5 black fin sharks put a group of fish around the reef, meaning they could work together to hunt. Another advantage when gathering in groups can help members better understand their surroundings. Experts also found sharks are capable of expressing complex social behaviors like those of birds and mammals.