Centrophoridae
Western gulper shark
Centrophorus westraliensis
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.
Western gulper shark
Squalidae
Western highfin spurdog
Squalus altipinnis
Squalidae
Western longnose spurdog
Squalus nasutus
Pentanchidae
Western spotted catshark
Asymbolus occiduus
Triakidae
Western spotted smoothhound
Mustelus stevensi
Orectolobidae
western wobbegong
Orectolobus hutchinsi
Rhincodontidae
whale shark
Rhincodon typus
Triakidae
Whiskery shark
Furgaleus macki
Pentanchidae
white ghost catshark
Apristurus aphyodes
Pentanchidae
White-clasper catshark
Parmaturus albipenis
Triakidae
White-fin smooth-hound
Mustelus widodoi
Etmopteridae
Whitecheek lanternshark
Etmopterus alphus
Carcharhinidae
Whitecheek Shark
Carcharhinus coatesi
Carcharhinidae
whitecheek shark
Carcharhinus dussumieri
Etmopteridae
Whitefin dogfish
Centroscyllium ritteri
Sphyrnidae
Whitefin hammerhead
Sphyrna couardi
Scyliorhinidae
Whitefin swellshark
Cephaloscyllium albipinnum
Triakidae
Whitemargin smoothhound
Mustelus albipinnis
Carcharhinidae
whitenose shark
Nasolamia velox
Scyliorhinidae
Whitesaddled catshark
Scyliorhinus hesperius
Triakidae
whitespotted smooth-hound
Mustelus palumbes
Somniosidae
Whitetail dogfish
Scymnodalatias albicauda
Dichichthyidae
Whitetip bristle shark
Dichichthys albimarginatus
Carcharhinidae
Whitetip reef shark
Triaenodon obesus
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.