Apples to Oranges to Lemon Sharks: An Essay on Comparison

 

Here's a riddle for you: What do 3 apples, 2 oranges, 1/2 a lemon, and a drizzle of honey get you? *1 *2

Now, answer this: what do apples and oranges have to do with Lemon Sharks (besides the fruit names)? Yeah, there aren't any footnotes for this; you're gonna have to actually read this post for the answer. 

The Lemon Shark : Canis lupus arctos

Characteristics: Lemon Sharks range from lengths of 8-10 feet and weights of 400-550 pounds. They're distinguishable by their olive yellow skin and lighter yellow underbelly which gives this shark its name. Two triangular dorsal fins, one by the pectoral fins and one by the anal fin, also serve as identifiers. Additionally, Lemon Sharks have flatter heads and shorter snouts compared to other shark species.

Habitat: Lemon Sharks are often found in shallow coastal waters near the Pacific and Atlantic coasts no deeper than 260 feet in depth. 

Diet: Carnivores; more info below

Conservation: Near Threatened

The age-old question asking how one should compare apples to oranges has been probed at numerous times by the likes of those such as Mattel and the UChicago (quirky essay prompts much?) It has been debated upon in high school mock trial and drawn upon for silly YouTube video inspiration (look up Ronald Crowley). 

So, what is the best way to compare apples to oranges? Step 1 seems obvious; find the similarities and differences between the two. Step 2? deciding how we'll find those similarities and differences. Personally, I think the classic Venn diagram is the way to go, but you don't get into UChicago with an essay on Venn diagrams. Or do you? I wouldn't know; I gave up on my night in the desert metaphor essay. 

The best strategy to finding similarities and differences is determined by the purpose for comparison. If we're comparing apples to oranges for taste, simply eat. If we want to compare their physical attributes, simply stare. And if we want to compare the inner substances of these two fruits, because looks aren't everything, we can use foodstruct.com. 

But let's take a step back and consider what is the point of comparison? As a highschooler whose life centers around appearance, personality, and talent, this one's easy. We compare things to decide which thing is better, to determine what's more valuable to us and to discover what we value. 

The problem is that this decision of what's better is based on comparison, which is based on why we are comparing. Whether apples are truly better than oranges changes from one person to another. Yawn. Obvious and unconcerning. The world shouldn't change if one person thinks apples are better than oranges and another thinks otherwise*3. 

But everything changes when we're deciding between who gets the apples and oranges. Who's more deserving in a world inhabited by close to a billion people who go hungry every day? Let's Venn diagram this out. Nah...that feels way too wrong. Simply looking at two people isn't going to help either. Thank goodness we don't have to choose between helping one person over another. This kind of comparison is typically out of our control. 

Much of the environmental problems that plague earth are out of our control as well, at least when it comes down to each individual. But let's talk about biodiversity loss, or better yet, biodiversity restoration. Save the turtles, save the whales, etc. These movements, created out of millions of individuals, have been pivotal in increasing awareness of saving endangered species. 

However, with over 38,000 species under threat, are there enough time and resources to start over 38,000 save the *blank* movements? Is it a truth that we can't save everyone? We have to pick and choose what species we save, take the time to create breeding captivity programs for and spend millions of dollars on. What makes one species more worth of saving over another? Do researchers Venn diagram the differences, or is this choice simply a matter of popularity? 

This is like the lobster dilemma*4. We talk about animal cruelty when it comes to cow or lamb slaughter but overlook boiling lobster and other crustaceans alive when it happens everyday. This is because we have a pecking order of sentimentality; ex: dogs come first and then other mammals. The further down we go, the less human and less valuable the species are to us*5. 

When we learn about wildlife as kids, we always hear about the classic creatures like A for Anteater, D for Dog, or E for Elephant. Think about birds; what bird do you think of first? Probably the robin, cardinal, bald eagle, or maybe even a parrot, and probably not the cebu flowerpecker or kirtland's warbler. 

Think about sharks, and you'll probably come up with the great white first or maybe the orca if you aren't solid on your wildlife biology knowledge. What are the odds that you'd think of the Lemon Shark, or even know the most basic information on this species?*7

Like all other shark species, the Lemon Shark possesses electro receptors. Electroreception is the ability to discern electric fields, and the Lemon Shark uses this ability to capture its prey. Additionally, to make up for a poor sense of sight, the Lemon Shark has a keen sense of smell that can identify even trace amounts of blood in the water. Its nose is also where the Lemon Shark's electrical sensors are located. 

Diets depend on the shark and conditions it lives in. Fish makes up the majority of the Lemon Shark's diet, although it will also supplement with crustaceans, mollusks, and even smaller Lemon Sharks...ok, I think this is the first time I've heard of cannibalism outside of Armie Hammer and inaccurate references to Lord of the Flies. Anyways, Lemon Sharks typically search for prey near the ocean floor, using its olfactory sense and electroreception abilities to identify benthic creatures hiding within the sands.  

It's great that we are educating on the importance of wildlife conservation, but for there to be positive and equal impact, we need to stop this human tendency to rank species, and each other, in terms of importance. Perhaps just like our pipedream of saving all species, it's impossible. But remember those annoyingly cringey and catchy posters from your elementary school classrooms, and remember there is such thing as 'trying' and 'doing your best'. All species deserve and need equal attention; the saola should be just as known as the green sea turtle or the Lemon Shark. 

These are all incredible creature. How can we choose between them and all the other fascinating ones we've yet to discover? Comparisons happen every day. From choosing what friend you want to spend the weekend with to hiring a new employee, we're constantly making choices that unconsciously place people above and below others. Is that wrong? While some comparisons don't outwardly seem to harm individuals, others do. We have to consider so much when we make choices, but most of the time, I choose quickly and decisively. I know what I want and why I want it. The question is, who does this choice help or hurt? Maybe it's better to not choose. But that's also a choice, and it's a choice that leaves a residue of giving up. We can't drag out every choice into an essay on the methods of choosing. However, we can make each choice with more consideration and empathy. We need each individual to speak their choice so that each choice has a voice, one willing to fight for it, for a chance. 

footnotes

*1 - a smoothie recipe i just came up with 10 sec ago for the sake of having a(n) (semi?)-interesting opener; it probably tastes terrible, but honey honestly works wonders with fruit. 

*2 - yep, two footnotes in a row, just wanted to say i'm loving this footnotes thing bc now it makes you stay longer and scroll down to find out what *1 and *2 mean; i mean, look at these efforts, anything for someone to actually read this

*3 - unless people become so ridiculously passionate about their views on apples and oranges that this comparison becomes the angry bipartisanship of the fruit world that leads to Apple supporters and Orange supporters who are vehemently opposed against each other. but that's totally unreasonable right? people are reasonable right? 

*4 - if you haven't had the honor of having mrs. mcallister for ap lang, go read "Consider the Lobster" by david foster wallace

*5 - like biodiversity restoration*6, it's good that there is any positive impact going on at all, right?

*6 - woah a footnote within a footnote?? the more i use this term, the more i realize it's not a term. the meaning comes across tho and that's what matters

*7 - i'm guessing very high and then very low, especially if you are reading this article waiting to finally learn about lemon sharks and wondering why it's taking so long to get there

https://earth.org/how-many-endangered-species-are-there/

https://rarest.org/animals/birds