Habitat and Distribution
Distribution
Elasmobranchs inhabit tropical and
temperate seas as well as some cold and polar seas and
freshwater lakes.
Habitat
As a group, sharks are adapted for a
wide range of aquatic habitats. Various species inhabit
shallow coastal habitats, deep-water ocean floor
habitats, and the open ocean.
Migration
Shark migration is poorly understood.
Not all species migrate. In species that do migrate,
the distance may be short or long. Food availability,
environmental cycles, or
reproductive cycles probably determine most migrations.
Females of many species migrate to specific locations to
lay eggs or have pups.
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