Shark

Sharks include many species of catilaginous fishes. They belong to the class Chondrichthyes, which also includes rays and skates. Sharks are among the most feared predators on Earth, frequently referred to as 'mindless killing machines'. They have been featured in movies like Jaws, Deep Blue Sea and Open Water as monsters and villians, and for good reason. Nothing spawns nightmares like their silent approach, their relentless circling, their bloody feeding-frenzies. Even their touch is dangerous. Brushing up against that sand-paper skin, with its minute dermal denticles, results in a rug-burn from hell.

It's no wonder few furries choose to adopt the fursona of a shark. Anthropomorphic sharks are hard to imagine, as sharks do not have the limbs we have come to expect on anthros. Their personalities are solitary, not the huggy-skritchy social nature many furs enjoy. Most fursons are instinctively wary of sharks, so even a friendly shark would find it hard to socialize.

So why would anyone choose to associate with such a creature? Because sharks are swift, strong, silent, as perfect a creature as God or nature could have created, remaining unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. Shamanism attributes the shark with many fine qualities, including remorselessness and shapeshifting. They take the role of protector and savior. Sharks are gods of the sea and guardians of family, with the ability to move constantly, a connection to past knowledge, the ability to defend themselves and to never be caught off guard.

Kamohoali'i was the king shark god of Oahu and the elder brother of Pele. Each island of Hawaii has their own shark god, and many families have personal shark guardians, or aumakuas.

See also

• Shark characters
• Shark on Wikipedia