No Single Answer
Shark food intake depends on:
- Species (hundreds of species with different diets)
- Size (a great white eats more than a reef shark)
- Age (young sharks eat more frequently)
- Food availability
- Individual variation
General Traits
- Most sharks are carnivores and opportunistic feeders.
- They have lower metabolic rates than mammals and don't need to eat as often.
Examples
- A large great white might eat a seal every few weeks.
- Whale sharks are filter feeders that consume massive amounts of plankton.