The Shark That Eats Seagrass

The smallest hammerhead, the bonnethead shark, is neither a lover, nor a fighter. They can reproduce on their own and would rather eat seagrass than a swimmer.
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This month's pin is designed by Emma SanCartier. You can find out more about her and her work here: oddfauna.com/
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Host: Hank Green (he/him)
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Sources:
www.aquariumofpacific.org/onl...
science.fau.edu/shark_lab/sexu...
www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi...
royalsocietypublishing.org/do...
phys.org/news/2018-10-vegetar...
www.science.org/content/artic...
link.springer.com/article/10....
academic.oup.com/bioscience/a...
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[@jansenart0]

"Shark infested water" = "Human infested city"

[@AsheTheRedScout]

For real tho lol it’s the sharks house

[@tavariswilson3361]

Human infested city = Rat + Roach Infested City 🤧

[@jansenart0]

@@tavariswilson3361 I was saying that that's where the sharks live.

[@tavariswilson3361]

@@jansenart0 I got that me too

[@jansenart0]

@Lind Morn Edgy.

[@laurachapple6795]

I have never heard of these before but they are exquisitely friend-shaped and IMMEDIATELY my new favourite sharks. I can't wait for my pin.

[@duckofdeathv1595]

They are great. But it is hard to beat the whale shark.

[@pale_profile7237]

Whale sharks are huge, hard to feed, can die if they don’t get enough oxygen or space, oh also it’s illegal to own whale shark pups

[@comfortablynumb9342]

Very tasty

[@NOTTHEMUTANTMOBo]

Never gets pinned*

[@fortune2079]

@@NOTTHEMUTANTMOBo He's talking about the enamel pin

[@Azzarinne]

When I worked at an aquarium, we actually had bonnetheads in a (monitored, don't worry) touch tank. One of my favorite things to do was stand by maligned species' tanks and dispel myths, and this was a great opportunity to do that. The only time I heard of anyone getting bitten was when a handler was feeding them and had her hand cupped rather than flat, and her fingers got a little nommed. Not the shark's fault, and she was fine.

[@Neenerella333]

I would stand by them and give them pets too. The baby talk would be intolerable, but I would not regret it.

[@AsioEntomo]

Petting sharks is SO much fun. I was already a nature nerd when I first got to pet one as a little kid, but being able to interact with animals in a hands-on way can really help encourage people to learn more.

[@daemon2426]

I've gotten to pet some very cute bamboo sharks at a local aquarium. They're adorable and I'll never understand why people are so afraid our happy tooth scaled friends.

[@kiriki4558]

Glad she is fine.

[@Patrick-it8nk]

Oh that would be a DREAM for me. I love bonnetheads, and have seen some in the surf when at the beach on a calm day but not recently.

[@nestrior7733]

All sharks deserve all the hugs and head pats. The bonnethead even more so. Just love them.

[@alveolate]

ehh headpats, maybe. but hugging dentin seems like a bad idea.

[@nestrior7733]

@@alveolate There's a trick or two: No exposed skin and only light hugs. I'd try in any case.

[@Lumberjack_king]

Pats yes hugs no

[@Lumberjack_king]

@@teathpaste3301 your right

[@brolacoleo1619]

Why? For what? What did they do to deserve love lol

[@slitheringswamp5352]

Adding on to this, consider the vast gulf of time which sharks have existed on this planet. There could have been thousands of omnivorous and maybe even herbivorous species

[@selachian6799]

400 million years is a very large window for possibility 🦈😎

[@themushroominside6540]

I can only wonder what the planet could be like if a giant rock from space, and the volcanic winters right that occurred after that didn't happen. >90% of all aquatic species is a lot to lose in a mass extinction, there were definitely niches that were once occupied but are no longer because of the hard reset of species.

[@supercharged5-39]

sharks are older than trees

[@Jarimir]

My amateur-self recalls an ancient lineage of omni- if not full on herbivorous sharks that existed IRRC right up to when the bony fishes took hold... or... I doubt they survived the Great Dying of the Permian-Triassic Extinction Event either way...

[@solsoman102]

the timeless experience of clicking on a video from a channel you've never seen before only to once again be pleasantly surprised by the voice of hank green

[@fubberpish3614]

it wasn't mentioned in the video, but Zebra Sharks have also been known to exhibit parthenogenesis. it was first observed in a Zebra Shark kept at Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, but a similar event occurred again at the Cairns Aquarium, where the cloned sharks are on display, where I was able to see them when I visited. very cool! the aquarium staff did say that eggs produced via parthenogenesis are only viable about a quarter of the time, so most eggs the Zebra Sharks (they have two adult females) laid never hatched, but two did!

[@alveolate]

can't help but wonder if parthenogenesis in these sharks are a physiological response to resource shortages, stress, or even lack of companions...

[@Neenerella333]

Cool!

[@w13rdguy]

Could it be that they store sperm cells? Can't remember what animal it was, but I've heard of it somewhere....

[@fubberpish3614]

@@w13rdguy some animals can do that, yes. for example, guppies and platies can store sperm. but that wasn't what happened with the zebra sharks. it was at first suspected that it was sperm storage, but dna testing showed that the zebra shark pups were genetically identical to their mother

[@nouhorni3229]

​@@alveolate Getting pregnant when resources are low and stress is high sounds like a completely senseless trait. Especially when most of the offspring aren't viable, that seems like a terrible waste. It might be a response to abundant food without predators/competition, but no available mates.

[@d0pomein]

When I was a young lad I lived on an island, we would make big rock circles in the shallows and put fish we caught in them along with crabs and stuff. We used to have a "pet" bonnet head shark who would frequent our dock and we feed small fish. Oh the simpler days

[@samwill7259]

"Well they came into our bit...of the ocean" "You see that bit? That big wet bit? That's their bit."

[@ThatJaymsWisdom]

Yep. Still the best series on KZbin. Also, I LOVE this pin. I can't wait to get my cute little shark fella!

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

You're getting one as a pet?

[@ThatJaymsWisdom]

@@chisaquaticvibe6524 If only!

[@dewal5772]

I caught two of these at South Padre island I let them go though but, it's true they are in the gulf

[@katbairwell]

I have never wanted one of the Bizarre Beasts pins as much as I desire this one - look how cute!! Brilliant work by the artist!

[@theveganrancor3678]

That stingray straight up killed Shark Jesus. I hope they named the stingray Pontius Pilate.

[@elgentleman6259]

Obviously not its fault. Was washing its fins before, during and after.

[@TopsyTriceratops]

Not only do these sharks have a non-threatening size to them, their shape is also quite docile in a way! I also love that super adorable, harmless sounding name. "Bonnethead", like an old-timey baby wearing a bonnet, it's just so cute to think about!

[@nariu7times328]

"you can eat all kinds of things that don't actually do anything for you, nutritionally." Me and chocolate...

[@Jane-oz7pp]

but chocolate contains fats, carbohydrates, iron, antioxidants, calcium, protein and a bunch of other nutrients in it. Some chocolate is actually a healthy (ish) addition to your diet.

[@nariu7times328]

@@Jane-oz7pp Very true! It just sounded funny to me. But I completely agree. :)

[@zooker7938]

My favourite shark! I wish more people knew about them, they're so cute!

[@Akaryusan]

hopefully people leave well enough alone with these little guys so they can evolve into big cow sharks

[@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana]

The four lineages of sea grasses are super cool too. One even evolved vivipary. IN A PLANT. Also, it is weird cetaceans don't regularly eat sea grasses, being ruminants, when animals not even slightly adapted to it managed to evolve it pretty easily.

[@christiancinnabars1402]

My guess is that cetaceans generally hunt in open waters, while some shark species are bottom-ish feeders(like the bonnethead). So the latter would be in contact with and even unintentionally eat seagrass more often than the former, leading to bigger benefits when a mutation allows them to make use out of eating seagrass.

[@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana]

@@christiancinnabars1402 Some cetaceans do hunt in seagrass areas though. It is kind of inevitable as cetaceans are all over the place and sea grass meadows are in a lot of places.

[@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana]

@@christiancinnabars1402 Kind of impressive land plants manage to outcompete old lineages like coral and kelp. Angiosperms are pretty impressive and depending on your beliefs very intelligent. So it makes sense for them to be the ones that do it.

[@fmlAllthetime]

I'm pretty sure coral aren't plants.

[@UniDocs_Mahapushpa_Cyavana]

@@fmlAllthetime They do grow by photosynthesis though, so they compete with seagrass.

[@thenerdbeast7375]

"Twice as good at it as pandas are at digesting bamboo." That's pretty low standards there and not saying much, pandas are so bad at their job _we_ could probably digest bamboo easier than they can.

[@rolandtowen2595]

This is the pin that finally got me to sign up for the pin club. He's so friend shaped.

[@AlbinoAxolotl]

Friend shaped! That’s the cutest thing ever!

[@DracarmenWinterspring]

0:56 - I'm curious how they ended up on coasts on both sides of central America, but not far north or south of that. I can't imagine they would've stayed as one species if they crossed over before the isthmus of Panama closed, that was several million years ago. Did they used to be on one side but got through the Panama canal somehow, or otherwise brought over by human intervention? Do some of them occasionally swim far enough to go around Cape Horn?

[@MarcellusJasonClay]

I just searched google and it told me there are more than one species of bonnet heads so maybe the species diverge since the isthmus of Panama is closed.

[@DracarmenWinterspring]

@@MarcellusJasonClay source? All I could find called them one species (sphyrna tiburo) with a range on both sides

[@MarcellusJasonClay]

@@DracarmenWinterspring i saw a picture of a scalloped bonnethead and bonnethead as an image. Idk how to screenshot image into a youtube comment tho.

[@DracarmenWinterspring]

@@MarcellusJasonClay well, the slightly different name is a good start. Looking that up, according to Wikipedia it's a different species in the same genus that lives only on the Pacific coast, but it is not omnivorous. It's possible there was some confusion between these two when listing the range, but doesn't look like it. I haven't dug deeper than the Wikipedia pages, though.

[@alonealien1474]

Great video, as usual! It's funny (not really) how we do not see our own behavior as predatory, but are all up in arms about animals just trying to survive. Yeah, some species of sharks eat other animals, but they need to eat like everything else. And the ocean IS their home. Where are they supposed to go?!? We are the ones infesting THEIR home and not vice versa.

[@selachian6799]

Exactly! We're the species that kills excessively, not them!

[@tonydai782]

Whenever I see "shark infested waters" I think, y'know there sure are a lot of human infested houses around here.

[@runeanonymous9760]

@@selachian6799 I mean, yeah we kill way more than sharks do by any measurement but when you adjust for population size then dolphins, other great apes, and small cats beat us out. Tbf humans are omnivores and most can go vegan with some planning after puberty, while cats are outright obligate carnivores, and the others also require more meat than humans, so it’s kind of more necessary for them- though, like, humans still have to kill a lot of life forms for our agricultural practices even if everyone switched to just plant-based, which could actually lead to more animal deaths (in addition to the deaths of humans with allergies and other stuff) if done too quickly.

[@Patrick-it8nk]

Oh my god I want that bonnethead as a tattoo, its adorable!

[@ketsuekikumori9145]

2:25: here's a question i'd never thought to ask: how do you collect shark poop? I can't imagine it being solid, but i could be wrong.

[@randamimoso4038]

i mean at least this shark eats grass so i has fibers to make the poop like... cohesive (?)

[@An_Actual_Rat]

Most of the feces is liquid, but there are solid chunks in there.

[@keithfaulkner6319]

Why would it NOT be solid? After all, people, dogs, cats, snakes, fish ( keep large plecostomus and it collects in the calm spots), birds (well, mostly), lizards, well most all animals really, put out solid poop. Why not sharks.

[@selachian6799]

@@keithfaulkner6319 Shark poop is not solid, kind of cloudy, they live underwater

[@doommagic]

@@keithfaulkner6319 Having watched a whale shark empty its bowels while at the Atlanta Aquarium, I can say Selachian is correct. It's not solid.

[@mk_rexx]

2:42 Just like that, another roast to how bad Pandas live.

[@FireFog44]

Pandas are cute, but it’s like they’re asking to go extinct!

[@Teag_Brohman15]

the ocean abounds with fearsome creatures, but none attacks its prey with more fury... THAN THE SEAWEED SHARK!!!! the struggle... is soon over...

[@Strix182]

"stupid focking shark bonnet..." -- some tiny, angry pirate man

[@hughmongus6191]

The oceans abound with fearsome creatures, but none attack their prey as ferociously as the seaweed shark!

[@falcolf]

This shark had me subscribing to the pin club, SO CUTE!

[@Cheeky_Chelsea]

How did I only just find this channel 😱 looks like I've got some backlog to watch. Loved the video and loved the bonnet head ☺️

[@dewpoisquad7386]

Its amazing how a usually-carnivorous shark actually eats some plants. And the fact you uploaded this on May 6 is cool also because that is the birthday of my friend (who is a shark lover). We honestly thought all sharks eat meat, but I guess this is an exception.

[@toddhollen]

This video popped up on my recommendations and I did not expect to see a Hank Green in it. Always a pleasant surprise

[@cassandranoice1563]

I'm looking forward to watching this soon I have to say though, I've seen it in my stream for a few days and today is the first time I actually read the thumbnail correctly as "Bonnet head," as opposed to the bonehead I've been seeing.

[@kitsunesmask898]

Thanks for letting me know about this unique shark, i didn't even know this species existed!

[@joieyoung-broin1500]

This is possibly my favorite pin design in the history of Bizarre Beasts. ❤️ ❤️ 🦈

[@leonmclaren4666]

Ngl I've just found the channel and just glad to find more hank green I've been watching scishow and crash course for years

[@hartoramasenju4012]

Never heard about them before, learning something new this day, thanks Bizarre Beast

[@Heeroneko]

Been my favorite shark for years jus cuz 'shovelhead', one of their nicknames, is also a nickname for a social caste of vampire from the Vampire the Masquerade pen n paper roleplaying game. Now even more cool reasons to love em! oOo

[@sebastianbernhart9068]

So it’s the only shark where females and males have a different head shape, and there is just one version of the pin. Missed opportunity:(

[@cuttlefishonfire7502]

SO EXCITED TO FIND THIS VIDEO!!! Bonnethead sharks are one of my favorite species, great to see someone talking about them :D they're so cool!

[@genericname2747]

Wasn't expecting to be surprised by Hank Green, but this is a pleasant surprised

[@jakel8627]

Bonnethead shark: you see I'm built different

[@philconti1945]

I cought one of these before, never new they eat seagrass

[@JamesOKeefe-US]

I truly love this channel :)

[@cenizen]

Glad to have found this channel :)

[@ApequH]

Sharks are so cool All animals are cool

[@emilybrackett2840]

6:06 now that you bring up giant pandas. They actually remind me of bonnetheads.

[@Devo14218]

This makes me think of pandas. Carnivores? No thanks, I’d rather have a salad

[@reeven1721]

4:18 Stingrays have started a competition with dolphins for the "assholes of the sea" crown, I see.

[@capybaraswacreatures1428]

We can just say that this Bizarre Beast has a history that went awry

[@chrisr728]

I see these all the time around home, they adorable

[@raccoontrashpanda1467]

I wish I could buy the pins I want instead of signing up to a subscription service and hoping I get lucky with the colour.

[@kyrab7914]

Yeah :/ like on one hand, subscriptions help the charity more, and getting anything like pins at all is nice. But otoh, loot box style can be both a draw and a detriment.

[@StarsXXXXXX]

I’ve been wanting to subscribe for a while now - but this shark just sold me! Immediately grabbed my wallet and filled out my info. Can’t wait to get them in the mail

[@deathsnitemaresinfullust2269]

Oh wow. These are surprisingly unique creatures, seems capable of adapting even more than other sharks. 😄👍

[@SherbertHusky]

Bonnetheads are the cutest sharks I've ever seen. They are so smol

[@seven02gaming90]

Great channel! Subbed

[@WelfareChrist]

Shovel sharks the name is right there

[@nickcosimano5028]

First pin I wish I had. Got a bonnethead plushy sense I was a kid. Didn’t know about the parthenogenesis, neat.

[@ljphoenix4341]

Sharks are fascinating creatures. This was a great Bizzare Beasts video, very interesting.

[@Titus-as-the-Roman]

Ochlockonee Bay, Florida, the far eastern end of the Panhandle, Just before the Big Bend. Every year I catch many Bonnetheads here along with a more standard looking small, same size shark (I call them Jaws Jr,), using just the bait used for other species, I do not target sharks, they're a pain in the Patootie.

[@redbuck1385]

The strangest thing about parthenogenesis is that there is a species of lizard that reproduces entirely through parthenogenesis, with no males and all members being genetically identical

[@lovelydragon23]

It’s so funny, I JUST designed hammerhead shark stickers including a bonnethead! I did light research and there a 9 (or 8 it’s been a couple weeks since I looked it up) species of hammerhead, unfortunately every single species is endangered. Hopefully people will learn more about these sharks and more actions can be made to protect them

[@SAmaryllis]

very cool sharks! I definitely assumed all sharks were strictly carnivores

[@freakandproudalways]

so the females have heads like Toothless and the males have heads like Stitch. That's awesome

[@randomgai7531]

These stingray keep getting away with murder

[@benmcreynolds8581]

That's cool they actually show dimorphism. That's really cool.

[@adibferdous826]

It seems beating pandas in almost any evolutionary metric is easy for almost any animal

[@hannahchesser13]

I must’ve been under a rock because I JUST found out about this channel and the pin club! I’m signing up now! I have a problem 😅

[@ma3mc3mu-X]

This needs to be a new Pokemon.

[@TheTerranInformed]

Most intriguing!!!

[@vincentender1486]

First found out about plant nomming spiders, and now sharks.

[@insanity4224]

I can’t believe I didn’t know about these! Very cool.

[@ameliarichards727]

Aw man! Missed the window! Those little shark pins are SO cute though! 🥺🥺🥺

[@evilcheese1119]

2:10 i love this little guy's face

[@oopsy444]

Everyone knows dolphins are the true villians of the ocean. Theyre pure evil ** holes

[@S3verusMyG]

Orcas

[@randamimoso4038]

@@S3verusMyG orcas are dolphins, the biggest dolphins btw

[@ericvilas]

Dolphins are the cats of the ocean. We love them and they get along well with us if they're raised alongside us but they are absolute assholes to wildlife

[@Jane-oz7pp]

@@randamimoso4038 Orcas are not dolphins. They're the same family but they aren't dolphins.

[@crewmatewillthrowthesehand7600]

peace was always an option -bonnethead shark probably

[@JosephsJungle8]

they’re head is perfectly shaped for patting the top of their head

[@IntrepidFraidyCat]

WOW! I learned some cool things today, thanks! ♥️🦈

[@brandonrout5394]

YAAAASSSSS!!! As soon as I saw the preview on Instagram, I was hoping it was this shark!

[@ProjectEdin]

Ooh it'd be really cool if y'all did an episode about the Tarpon fish!

[@thomasgeo9713]

Sharks woooo!

[@THEchiQ]

Jaws has so much to answer for.

[@longislandlegoboy]

It’s always absolutely wild when I randomly stumble upon one of the Green brothers in something I had no prior knowledge was remotely related to them

[@brendakrieger7000]

Interesting topic🦈

[@marly1017]

awesome video

[@Jamachlee]

rip Stede Bonnet you woulda loved Bonnethead sharks

[@benmcreynolds8581]

Can you do tests like we do of teeth in humans to determine their diet? Would that show if they are true grass eaters only, or sometimes they have a mixed diet of crustaceans and other things that dwell in the habitats of their sea grass environments? Also, with the female giving birth, is it possible to have traits where the shark is able to store and delay reproduction? I think I've seen something about other animals being able to do something like that, I maybe explaining it incorrectly, but it's essentially storing reproductive material for later use.. let's put it that way... Either way it's all facinating and when this video started I thought you were talking about a past existing shark not a currently living one so that's awesome! I wonder if they still have the sensor arrays on their heads like hammerheads even tho they don't hunt because if they eat grass they wouldn't need to be able to sense where living creatures are due to electrical impulses and stuff.

[@ronnygill]

Saw one right under me in super shallow water kayaking in Tampa bay. Then my kayak sank and I was a bit worried his big cousins would be up for a snack.

[@undeadladybug7723]

Oddly enough when it comes to the ocean, I'm more surprised when a plant is actually a plant and not another animal copy-catfish.

[@SamTheUndying]

Was shell hunting in Florida on vacation and the opportunity to meet one of these in person Although he was probably more curious while I was more terrified of a shark shaped blob to my left under water

[@daemon2426]

I love hammerheads in general. The bonnethead and winghead are my favourites. The two odd extremes of these specialised sharky friends.

[@mariykaauber1743]

Named after Stede Bonnet, I'm sure 🏴‍☠️♥️

[@Lichen8404]

So you're telling me this shark is pettable and local? Oh hell yeah

[@maximilian9000]

Simpsons already told us this, ever heard of the Seaweed Shark? Ahem!

[@PotooBurd]

New favorite shark unlocked!

[@raphlvlogs271]

the giant panda of hammerhead sharks

[@maceyg.623]

my local aquarium had bonnetheads for a bit theyre so cute

[@awe_re_ah7107]

Omg rarity variants!? I want the rare/uncommon so bad xD gonna buy 3.

[@69minutes]

These are really fun to catch and release…the bois only get to be 2-3 feet while the mommas can grow upwards of 5 feet!!!

[@jenluvjake]

I found this video, when I saw Hank I thought nothing of it then I thought "hey this isn't scishow"

[@billflunkendorf]

These are all over the place here in Florida in the golf of Mexico