The Abbott Elementary faculty as sharks!
Ava — Oceanic whitetip shark
This slow-moving, opportunistic requiem shark known for its long, round fins with white tips, is truly a diva of the sea. Whitetips are critically endangered as a result of accidental bycatching and intentional harvesting for their fins and meat. This doesn't stop them from slowly cruising near the surface in open water, even breaching out of the water like whales do. Its feeding method is swimming through a school of fish with an open mouth, waiting for a fish to get in before biting down. Despite their leisurely lifestyle, they can be quite aggressive if given the chance. Small fish, including pilot fish, remoras and dolphinfish, are known to follow whitetips (like the teachers follow Ava, hmmm...)
Mr. Johnson — Tiger shark
This fearless predator is often called the trash can of the sea, on account of its large, varied palate. Tiger sharks will eat anything, even in-edible man-made objects. They're solitary, nomadic creatures, comfortable swimming slowly to sneak up on their prey. Its dark markings and skin make it so they can't be recognized from the dark seabed when seen from above. Their white underbellies help camouflage them from prey below; against the sunlight they can't tell the difference. Working in the shadows, you could say ;)
Barbara — Grey reef shark
Grey reef sharks are strong, fast and protective. During the day they gather in groups, and in the night they disperse to hunt by themselves. Many of them have a specific home range they continually return to, never straying too far. Their presence can often intimidate other sharks and cause them to flee, even though grey reef sharks are more social than territorial. They only attack if they feel threatened. They'll arch their back and swim side-to-side as part of their threat display, warning the predator that they're ready to attack. It'll approach divers with curiosity and well... if you're cool it'll be fine.
One of the sharks native to Hawai'i, grey reef sharks can be worshipped as 'aumakua, family deities. Hawaiians believe their deceased family members transform into 'aumakua, which can take many different forms (sharks being one of them). 'Aumakuas watch over their descendants and keep them safe, giving them strength and guidance. What better for the mother figure of Abbott!
Porbeagle is a swift and stout predator commonly seen in the Mediterranean. It has certain evolutionary adaptations that other sharks don't, like its ability to elevate its own body temperature (8-10 ℃ / 14-18 ℉ warmer than the surrounding water!). Being warm-bodied allows it to maintain a higher speed, hunt in deeper waters for extended periods of time and enter higher latitudes in winter to exploit the food resources other sharks aren't able to. Porbeagles also exhibit play behavior, such as wrapping themselves in kelp, chasing each other and prodding, tossing or biting objects floating in the water. Lastly I have to mention the amount of parasites this shark houses.... Speaking of parasites:
Lemon shark is a highly intelligent and social shark. They move in groups going up to twenty sharks, hunting and scavenging together. Other benefits of group living are communication, protection from predators and courtship. That isn't the reason why they do it, they indeed form groups due to an active desire to be social! The groups are often sorted based on size and sex, but young lemon sharks have been known to follow bigger individuals, perhaps to learn from them where they can find prey or hide from predators. Lemon sharks have a brain relative in mass to those of a mammal or a bird, enabling them to learn from social interaction, cooperate, establish dominance hierarchies and social bonds.
Gregory — Bonnethead shark
The bonnethead shark is the smallest of the hammerhead sharks, a rather shy species with a shovel-shaped head. They occur in small schools of 15, moving constantly following changes in water temperature, even migrating to warmer waters in winter months. Schools have a distinct dominance hierarchy, ranking individuals based on sex and size. (Something about growing up in a military family...). The bonnethead is also the first known shark to be omnivorous! It swims across the seafloor trying to find crabs, shrimp and other small fish and crustaceans. During this search it also ingests lots of seagrass (over half of its gut is composed of it). One theory is that they consume seagrass to protect their stomach from the shells of the crabs they usually eat.
This small shark is unique in many ways. Its coloration acts as a camouflage and its epaulette markings on its back are an eyespot meant to deter predators. Instead of swimming, it's more comfortable "walking", which it does by swaying side to side and dragging itself forward with its fins (their gait is very similar to that of salamanders!). They spend their time on shallow reef platforms and when the tide recedes the epaulette sharks are left on bare land. This is where its most wonderful trait comes into hand: its exceptional hypoxia tolerance! Epaulette shark can survive in low (or no) oxygen conditions for 1-3 hours, by increasing the blood supply to its brain and heart, shutting off non-essential neural functions. In extreme cases it can even reduce metabolism in its own brain, deactivating its motor functions while still keeping itself alert and alive. (Insert something about Janine's weird breathing here...). They're relatively harmless to humans and adapt well to captivity, being a popular shark to be displayed in public or home aquariums. (perfect for a school field trip aye)
