Hemigaleidae
Snaggletooth shark
Hemipristis elongata
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.
Snaggletooth shark
Pentanchidae
South China catshark
Apristurus sinensis
Chlamydoselachidae
Southern frilled shark
Chlamydoselachus africana
Etmopteridae
southern lanternshark
Etmopterus granulosus
Squalidae
Southern Mandarin Dogfish
Cirrhigaleus australis
Pentanchidae
Southern sawtail catshark
Galeus mincaronei
Somniosidae
Southern sleeper shark
Somniosus antarcticus
Carcharhinidae
spadenose shark
Scoliodon laticaudus
Carcharhinidae
Speartooth shark
Glyphis glyphis
Pentanchidae
speckled catshark
Halaelurus boesemani
Scyliorhinidae
Speckled swellshark
Cephaloscyllium speccum
Dalatiidae
spined pygmy shark
Squaliolus laticaudus
Carcharhinidae
spinner shark
Carcharhinus brevipinna
Etmopteridae
Splendid lanternshark
Etmopterus splendidus
Triakidae
Spotless smooth-hound
Mustelus griseus
Carcharhinidae
spottail shark
Carcharhinus sorrah
Triakidae
Spotted estuary smooth-hound
Mustelus lenticulatus
Triakidae
spotted houndshark
Triakis maculata
Scyliorhinidae
Spotted-belly catshark
Atelomycterus erdmanni
Squalidae
spurdog
Squalus acanthias
Pentanchidae
Starry catshark
Asymbolus galacticus
Triakidae
starry smooth hound
Mustelus asterias
Triakidae
starspotted smooth-hound
Mustelus manazo
Scyliorhinidae
Steven's swellshark
Cephaloscyllium stevensi
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.