Despite their reputation for ferocity, not all sharks are fearless predators.

Like humans, some sharks are braver than others. And according to Australian biologists, this means that each shark has a different personality.

Researchers at Macquarie University in Sydney (Australia) conducted observations of sharks in the waters of Jackson Bay in southern Australia, which are up to 1.65m long and often live in the deep bottom.

In research published in the Journal of Fish Biology, Australian biologists tracked how long it took after being introduced to a new tank to emerge from hiding and discover new habitats. of them.

Experiments measuring the boldness of fish have shown that taking risks is part of the shark’s personality. However, there are also some that seem more “reserved”.

Observing how each shark coped with being moved between tanks, the scientists found that some sharks with agitated and stressed responses would continue to do so in the experiments. next experiment.

Dr Culum Brown, who led the research team, said a person’s personality is influenced by both factors: genes and past experiences. The same goes for sharks. Therefore, how they react in any situation will depend on the courage of the individual, he said.

“Each shark is an independent individual, having predictable behavioral responses to certain events… That means when humans and sharks come into contact, each fish comes into contact. Fat will react differently,” he said.