Heterodontidae
buffalo hornshark
Heterodontus mexicanus
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.
buffalo hornshark
Heterodontidae
bull head
Heterodontus japonicus
Carcharhinidae
Bull shark
Carcharhinus leucas
Pentanchidae
Bulldog Catshark
Apristurus pinguis
Scyliorhinidae
Cabo Frio Catshark
Scyliorhinus cabofriensis
Pentanchidae
Campeche catshark
Parmaturus campechiensis
Sphyrnidae
Caribbean Bonnethead
Sphyrna alleni
Oxynotidae
Caribbean roughshark
Oxynotus caribbaeus
Carcharhinidae
Caribbean sharpnose shark
Rhizoprionodon porosus
Sphyrnidae
Carolina hammerhead
Sphyrna gilberti
Orectolobidae
carpet shark
Orectolobus japonicus
Orectolobidae
carpet shark
Orectolobus ornatus
Parascylliidae
cat shark
Parascyllium collare
Parascylliidae
cat shark
Parascyllium ferrugineum
Parascylliidae
cat shark
Parascyllium variolatum
Brachaeluridae
catshark
Brachaelurus waddi
Hemiscylliidae
catshark
Chiloscyllium griseum
Hemiscylliidae
catshark
Chiloscyllium indicum
Hemiscylliidae
catshark
Chiloscyllium plagiosum
Hemiscylliidae
catshark
Chiloscyllium punctatum
Hemiscylliidae
Cenderwasih Epaulette shark
Hemiscyllium galei
Scyliorhinidae
chain dogfish
Scyliorhinus retifer
Squatinidae
Clouded angelshark
Squatina nebulosa
Scyliorhinidae
cloudy catshark
Scyliorhinus torazame
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.