Etmopteridae
Sculpted lanternshark
Etmopterus sculptus
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
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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.
Sculpted lanternshark
Alopiidae
sea ape
Alopias vulpinus
Hexanchidae
sevengill shark
Notorynchus cepedianus
Centrophoridae
Seychelles gulper shark
Centrophorus seychellorum
Hexanchidae
sharpnose sevengill shark
Heptranchias perlo
Triakidae
sharptooth houndshark
Triakis megalopterus
Triakidae
sharptooth smoothhound
Mustelus dorsalis
Somniosidae
Sherwood dogfish
Scymnodalatias sherwoodi
Squalidae
Shirai's spurdog
Squalus shiraii
Pentanchidae
Shortbelly catshark
Apristurus breviventralis
Lamnidae
Shortfin mako
Isurus oxyrinchus
Etmopteridae
Shortfin smooth lanternshark
Etmopterus joungi
Pristiophoridae
shortnose sawshark
Pristiophorus nudipinnis
Squalidae
Shortnose spurdog
Squalus acutipinnis
Squalidae
shortnose spurdog
Squalus megalops
Squalidae
shortspine dogfish
Squalus mitsukurii
Etmopteridae
shorttail lanternshark
Etmopterus brachyurus
Triakidae
sicklefin hound shark
Hemitriakis falcata
Carcharhinidae
sicklefin lemon shark
Negaprion acutidens
Triakidae
sicklefin smoothhound
Mustelus lunulatus
Hemigaleidae
sicklefin weasel shark
Hemigaleus microstoma
Carcharhinidae
silky shark
Carcharhinus falciformis
Carcharhinidae
silvertip shark
Carcharhinus albimarginatus
Hexanchidae
sixgill shark
Hexanchus griseus
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.