User:Pixiebranche/sandbox

Pacific Spiny Dogfish

Appearance
Its distinctive snout, large eyes, and flattened head are just a few of the physical characteristics that give the Pacific spiny dogfish its distinctive look. The dogfish has a cylindrical shaped body. This type of shark also contains a unique body coloring. The top half of the shark has a gray color with scattered white spots while the bottom half has a white/light gray color. The scales of the dogfish is composed of the same material of shark teeth called dermal denticles, making the skin very hard and durable. The skin of the sharks used to be used as sandpaper once dried to do woodwork or even be used as leather once the denticles are removed. Lastly, the Pacific Spiny dogfish has a set of teeth specialized for grinding instead of tearing by the teeth being flat with sharp edges. If any of the teeth are worn down or broken, new teeth replace them from the two rows that are not being used to prey on other animals.

Spines and Fins
Another specific characteristic of this type of shark is the structure of their fins. Relating to their name, the spiny dogfish have two spines that are in front of each dorsal fin, and does not contain an anal fin. The use of two spines on the outer body have been proven for the use of protection against enemies such as other sharks, humans, and even whales. The two fins are known for it's venomous nature. This is where the name "Spiny" comes into play due to the thorn like spines that are in front of each dorsal fin. The shark forms into a curled up ball and then attacks its predators. Another use of the dorsal spines is being able to see age. The back set of fins closest to the tail is the best method of determining how mature the sharks are. Not only does the spines provide useful attributes for this type of species, but the dorsal fins also give the shark advantages. The first pair of dorsal fins help the spiny dogfish maintain a stable body position while swimming. The second set of dorsal fins nearest to the tail aids in generating thrust. The caudal fin is larger than normal, which helps the sharks maneuver through the water quickly and efficiently.

Size, Growth, and Age
The Pacific Spiny Dogfish are small and skinny members of the Squalidae family. Throughout the entire Pacific Ocean, male and female dogfish measure up to be around 100 to 130 centimeters. Their length happens to be 10 centimeters more than the North Atlantic dogfish. . Female Pacific dogfish reach a weight of 15 to 20 pounds by maturity, while the males tend to be much smaller in weight. The average maturation of the sharks normally take up to around 25 years and they can even live to the age of 100 years old. This makes the Northeast Pacific spiny dogfish the longest living out of all sharks since the 1940s*****.

Gills
The Pacific spiny dogfish has a unique system of ventilation. This type of dogfish has five gills on each side of their heads, but do not have gill covers like bony fish. The shark is able to breath with these gills by swimming or staying in a current. The Pacific spiny dogfish also has a special feature called a spiracle. These are gills that are behind the eyes of the shark that give oxygen to the eyes and brain. It is also used to breathe while resting or eating. The breathing of the dogfish happens as a two step process. First, the dogfish has water enter its mouth and exit through the parabranchial cavity, which then goes out through the five gill slits. The first three gill slits are primarily used for suction action. The four gill slit has the same purpose, but with a weaker activity. Finally, the fifth gill slit has water escaping while the Pacific spiny dogfish feeds on its prey.

Wikipedia Instructions
These instructions will help any Wikipedia author write a good article on the sub-genre of music artists. To be even more specific, these instructions will focus even more in depth for R&B and Hip Hop music artists between the 1990s and early 2000s. Information pertaining content, overall appearance, length, sources, and links are presented throughout the article. This can be considered criteria for a good or even featured Wikipedia article.

Content
The most important part of any Wikipedia article is what information is presented within it. In order for readers to get a full understanding of an article the author is writing is through a nice structure and easy to process information.

Structure
All articles should have some type of structure relating to the topic it is being written on. In the case of writing on music artists, it is ideal to either set up the articles in chronological order of their lives, especially if they are deceased. Starting from their early life, the article can then be proceeded by their career life to their lasting legacy. It is also smart to include sections with discography, where the artist's albums are listed, and even filmography.

Information
Any user of Wikipedia researches topics for the main reason of using the information within the articles for their own knowledge. In these types of articles, there is normally facts about the artists' lives and music careers. Typically a lot of articles go into detail about how the artist got into the music business and what they have accomplished within the industry. For example, Bow Wow's article goes into depth about how he began his famous career at the age of three all the way to his current day career.

Infobox
The infobox is just as important as the article itself. It can also be considered alike with the lead section due to the fact that you find out so much information on an artist just through that. It can include facts such as their birthdate, spouses, hometown, and even resting place if they are deceased.

Media
The media presented in Wikipedia articles is like pictures in books. This can really catch the eyes of potential readers, or even make them understand subjects more thoroughly. This is extra special in the case of music artists due to the fact that this is even more relevant compared to other subjects. Pictures, songs, and autographs are just a few of the types of media that can be used in articles. These sources can be found and used from any type of credible website.

Length
Length plays a major role in any type of Wikipedia article. The average word count for most music artists vary depending on their influence in the music world. The more well-known artists will have around 5,000-10,000 words in their articles. For example, in the Wikipedia article for legendary Tupac Shakur, there are about 9,766 words. This word count plays a role in the length of the lead section, solely because it should be proportional to the overall article itself.

Using Sources
Another key factor to having a successful Wikipedia article is using appropriate sources, with the correct citations. By following Wikipedia: Identifying Reliable Sources, writers will produce successful articles with reliable, published sources.

Format
Most Wikipedia articles use the inline citation system. However, it seems more beneficial to use the APA or MLA citation system because it is not as confusing to the readers.

Number of Sources
A lot of well-written articles have around 200 to 300 sources. For example, the famous R&B singer, Aaliyah, has about 300 sources.

Type of Sources
The types of sources that are most commonly used are published magazines, interviews, and websites. For example, magazines such as Rolling Stone or Billboard are used quite frequently in featured articles. News sources are also commonly used in these types of articles like CNN, NBC and MTV News.

Links
Using [|hyperlinks] within the Wikipedia articles is another way of citing sources within and outside of Wikipedia.

Wikilinks
Wikilinks is the most convenient and useful way to direct a viewer to another Wikipedia article without having to search in the references and sources sections. It can be easily done by inserting the URL connecting the specific word you want to hyperlink.