Centrophoridae
longsnout dogfish
Deania quadrispinosa
FISH SPECIES
Sharks
Sharks are cartilaginous fishes with skeletons made primarily of cartilage. They include small bottom dwellers, open-ocean hunters and giant filter feeders such as the whale shark.
FISH ATLAS / FIELD GUIDESharksIN THIS CHAPTER01 / Characteristics02 / Lifestyle03 / Species04 / Field notes
SCROLL
01 / NATURAL HISTORY
Characteristics
Typical features include exposed gill slits, replaceable teeth and placoid scales that give the skin a tooth-like texture. Body form and feeding strategy vary across the major shark orders.
- 01Ground sharks
- 02Mackerel sharks
- 03Carpet sharks
02 / LIFESTYLE
Lifestyle
Shark locomotion and foraging strategies reflect adaptations across diverse marine niches. While active pelagic predators utilize obligate ram ventilation and cruise continuously using specialized caudal keels, many benthic species possess spiracles that allow stationary pumping while resting on the ocean floor. Electroreceptive ampullae of Lorenzini detect minuscule bioelectric fields emitted by buried prey during low-speed sweeps.
OBSERVATION INDEX
- Continuous cruising vs stationary rest
- Bioelectric tracking with ampullae
- Pelagic schooling and bottom hunting
03 / SPECIES
Representative species
Discover representative species illustrating the ecological diversity, morphologies and adaptations of this group.
longsnout dogfish
Carcharhinidae
Lost shark
Carcharhinus obsoletus
Centrophoridae
lowfin gulper shark
Centrophorus lusitanicus
Ginglymostomatidae
Madame X
Nebrius ferrugineus
Proscylliidae
magnificent catshark
Proscyllium magnificum
Squalidae
mandarin dogfish
Cirrhigaleus barbifer
Triakidae
Mangalore houndshark
Iago mangalorensis
Pentanchidae
Manocherian’s catshark
Apristurus manocheriani
Pentanchidae
McMillan's cat shark
Parmaturus macmillani
Carcharhinidae
milk shark
Rhizoprionodon acutus
Pentanchidae
Milk-eye catshark
Apristurus nakayai
Squatinidae
monkfish
Squatina squatina
Centrophoridae
mosaic gulper shark
Centrophorus tessellatus
Pentanchidae
Mouse catshark
Galeus murinus
Heterodontidae
Mozambique bullhead shark
Heterodontus ramalheira
Scyliorhinidae
Mud catshark
Bythaelurus lutarius
Scyliorhinidae
Narrowbar swellshark
Cephaloscyllium zebrum
Scyliorhinidae
Narrowhead catshark
Bythaelurus tenuicephalus
Scyliorhinidae
Narrowmouthed catshark
Schroederichthys bivius
Triakidae
Narrownose smooth-hound
Mustelus schmitti
Scyliorhinidae
Narrowtail catshark
Schroederichthys maculatus
Scyliorhinidae
Natal shyshark
Haploblepharus kistnasamyi
Carcharhinidae
nervous shark
Carcharhinus cautus
Orectolobidae
Network wobbegong
Orectolobus reticulatus
04 / FIELD NOTES
A closer look
Must all sharks swim constantly to avoid suffocating?
No. Only certain open-ocean sharks rely on obligate ram ventilation. Many bottom-dwelling species (like nurse and carpet sharks) use spiracles and buccal pumping to breathe while resting stationary on the ocean floor.
How many teeth do sharks produce in a lifetime?
Shark teeth are arranged in conveyer-belt rows and continually shed as they wear down; an individual shark can produce thousands of functional teeth over its lifetime.
Is a whale shark dangerous to humans?
No. Despite reaching over 12 meters in length, whale sharks are gentle filter feeders that consume microscopic plankton, krill and small schooling fishes, posing no danger to divers.