Sharks & Rays

The barndoor skate is one of the world's largest skates. Skates are related to rays and sharks, but only distantly so. Skates are the most diverse cartilaginous fish lineage (sharks, skates, and rays). The term "cartilaginous fishes" refers to groups of fish that lack true bone and instead have skeletons made of hardened cartilage. Barndoor skates can grow to be at least 5 feet (1.5 metres) long and weigh up to 44 pounds (20 kg). They were historically commercially valuable.

The second-biggest fish in the world, the basking shark, is a filter feeder that consumes small, planktonic prey, just like the world's largest fish, the whale shark, and the world's largest animal, the great whales. The basking shark can appear menacing due to its length of 40 feet (12 metres) and resemblance to predatory sharks, yet it is actually extremely harmless. They may also dive deeper for food. They spend the majority of their time at the surface, swimming with their incredibly wide mouths open to filter out their favoured prey.

The blacktip shark is a common, medium-sized shark that gets its name from the pectoral, dorsal, and tail fins that are black-tipped. Because both species have torpedo-shaped bodies and are recognised for spinning out of the water while feeding, they are frequently confused with spinner sharks.

Inquisitive open-ocean predators known as blue sharks can be found all throughout the world's oceans, from tropical to chilly temperate seas. They are actually a pelagic species since they spend the majority of their time away from the coast. The common name refers to the shark's unusually blue skin colour among sharks.

Blue spotted ribbontail rays are named for the striking blue spots covering their body. They frequent the coral reefs and sandy flats in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, keeping close to the seafloor where they feed.

The bull shark is the shark with the best ability to travel into freshwaters, especially large, coastal rivers and lakes. It is a predatory species that dwells in coastal seas. They can effortlessly transition between freshwater and saltwater. They interact with humans more frequently than the majority of shark species due to this activity, and as a result, they are to blame for more fatal bites than any other species.

One of the most intriguing sharks in the water, the cookiecutter shark never gets larger than 18 to 20 inches (50 to 60 cm). Its common name comes from the way it feeds, which involves chewing off little pieces of much larger animals (see more below). Small in size, this species spends the majority of its time in the deep water column (mesopelagic). Although it is challenging to study, little is known about its particular habitat, but it has been collected or observed in various locations worldwide, most notably in tropical to temperate latitudes.

The cownose ray, a medium-sized stingray that is native to the western Atlantic Ocean, was given its name because of the shape of its head, which when viewed from above resembles a cow's nose. Cownose rays, like other eagle rays, are busy swimmers and are seldom observed dozing off on the ocean floor like the closely related whiptail stingrays (e.g., southern stingray).

The frilled shark is an unusual shark with a prehistoric appearance that dwells in open water and spends the majority of its time in deep, dark waters several miles below the surface of the ocean. About 7 feet (2 metres) long, its long, cylindrical body has fins that are far back on the body. The frilly appearance of the gill slits of the frilled shark gives it its name.

Enormous devilrays are rays that can swim and leap out of the water thanks to their large, wing-like fins. These rays, which belong to the Mobula ray genus, are renowned for leaping out of the water. Together, giant devilrays migrate in somewhat small groups. When they swim, giant devilrays use their branchial filter plates to gather food. Huge Devilrays consume microscopic plankton, small fish, and crabs, among other tiny sea animals.

The largest ray in the world as well as one of the biggest fishes is the enormous manta ray. The manta ray is the largest species of ray, reaching diameters of up to 29 feet (8.8 m). The gigantic manta ray, which is more oceanic in character, and the reef manta ray, which is more coastal in nature, were once considered to be the only two species of manta rays known to science.

The goblin shark is an intriguing species that inhabits the open ocean from close to the surface to at least 4265 feet below the surface (1300 m). Scientists think goblin sharks spend the majority of their lives in the dark and only come to the surface at night, like many species with a deep-sea preference. The species is renowned for its frightening appearance and capacity to open its jaws entirely when feeding.

At a maximum known length of 20 feet (6.1 m) and a weight of 991 pounds, the great hammerhead shark is the largest of the hammerhead species (450 kg). The cephalofoil on the species' virtually straight hammer-shaped head (which has a noticeable depression in the middle) sets it apart from other hammerheads.

The great white shark is the world's largest predatory fish and is capable of devouring marine mammals weighing up to several hundred pounds. The whale shark and the basking shark, both filter feeders that consume plankton, are the only two fish that can grow bigger than Great Whites.

The Greenland shark is one of the biggest sharks in the ocean, growing to lengths of 24 feet (7.3 m) and weights of 2200 pounds (1000 kg). Despite being both enormous and carnivorous, this species is not known to be particularly aggressive, and in the frigid waters of the north Atlantic Ocean, it is believed to be fairly slow.

The lemon shark, which may be identified by the bright yellow colour of its skin, lives on coral keys and mangrove swamps around the Atlantic Ocean and some of the Pacific Ocean. This shark's stocky build and other physical traits make it a powerful predator underwater, but it is also a common target of commercial fishers wanting to sell and trade the shark's fins and meat.

The pectoral fins of the longfin mako shark, which are as long as or longer than its head, are what gave the species its name. The longfin mako shark is distinguished by its huge eyes and long, blade-like teeth that stick out of its mouth, just like its close relative the shortfin mako shark.

One of seven species of sawsharks, the longnose sawshark is distinguished by its long, flat rostrum (snout), which is covered in numerous huge teeth on its left and right sides, giving it the appearance of a saw blade. With the exception of sawfishes, this saw separates sawsharks from all other types of fish.

One of several ray species that may genuinely shock prey is the marbled electric ray, often known as the marbled torpedo ray. This electric-organized ray is a sophisticated ambush predator whose variegated skin colour makes it almost invisible to unwary eyes.

A uncommon and substantial species of shark, the megamouth shark can weigh up to 2700 pounds (1215 kg). However compared to the whale shark and basking shark, it is the smallest of the three kinds of filter-feeding sharks. The unusually enormous, round mouth of the megamouth shark gives it its name. The mouth is roughly four feet across on a person who is about 16 feet (5 m) long (1.3 m). Less than 60 individuals have ever been captured or observed for this species, which has only been seen a few times in the wild.

In coral and rocky reefs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, as well as the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean, the nurse shark is one of the shark species that is most frequently spotted. It is astonishing that all individuals over this broad, tropical to warm temperate distribution are the same species given that nurse sharks give live birth and that individuals (even youngsters) have relatively restricted home ranges. A thorough genomic analysis of the nurse shark could identify more species in various ocean basins (e.g., on either side of Central America).

One of the sharks with the greatest geographic range is the oceanic whitetip, which may be found in all oceans with warm latitudes. It dwells in the open ocean, where it is a predator at the top of pelagic food webs. The dorsal, pectoral, and tail fins of this species have white tips, which give it its popular name. In opposed to many other shark species, which have pointed dorsal and pectoral fins, this shark has distinct rounder fins.

The Pacific angel shark, one of the 23 species, is identified by its flattened appearance that mimics skates or rays. As they feed, these flat sharks generate a lot of negative pressure (suction) due to their enormous mouths and large pectoral fins. Angel sharks (and other flat sharks) may be easily distinguished from rays despite having pectoral fins that resemble rays. Rays and skates have pectoral fins that are permanently attached to the head. For angel sharks and other flat sharks, it is never the case.

One of three thresher shark species, the pelagic thresher shark is distinguished by its extraordinarily long tail. The tails of adult pelagic threshers are longer than the body as a whole. Although there haven't been enough tagging experiments to prove it, scientists think they are very migratory. Pelagic thresher shark ecology is poorly understood since it is challenging to study them in their native environment (the open ocean).

Widely distributed, the porbeagle shark is distinguished by its conical snout, white underside, and dark grey top. According to some researchers, the term "porbeagle" comes from the combination of the words "porpoise" and "beagle" and refers to the shark's rounded shape and persistent hunting tactics.

This ray has a significant advantage over any predators hunting for a bite because to a coating of razor-sharp thorns on its back. .,t a thess thes an a the sand and an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an an a the thes thes in in a by an of the ring A unique and infrequently seen ray species, the porcupine ray regrettably faces numerous dangers throughout its habitat.

The sand tiger shark, also known as the grey nurse shark, is a slow-moving coastal predator distinguished by a flattened, conical snout and spiked, protruding teeth that resemble those of the tiger shark. When viewed from above, the shark's small eyes and light brown skin that resembles sand help it blend in with its surroundings.

Hammerhead sharks are a distinct group of sharks distinguished from all other fish by the shape of their heads. The common name for these sharks comes from their wide, hammer-shaped heads, while the scalloped hammerhead gets its name from the notches found along the front edge of its head.

The shortfin mako shark is a large, predatory shark that lives in the open ocean. It can grow to be 12 feet (3.8 metres) long and weigh at least 1200 pounds (545 kg). With top speeds of 45 miles per hour (74 kilometres per hour), the shortfin mako is the fastest shark and is one of the fastest fishes on the planet. The athleticism of this species is not limited to its swimming speeds. When hunting, it is known for its incredible leaping ability and can be seen jumping to extreme heights (out of the water).

The shovelnose guitarfish is a small-bodied ray with the typical wing-like pectoral fins of all rays but a body that resembles that of a shark. This species, like most rays, lives on the seafloor, usually on soft sandy or muddy bottoms near rocky reefs. Shovelnose guitarfish have the ability to pump water over their gills, allowing them to remain motionless. Guitarfishes are a type of skate (as opposed to stingrays). They do not have barbs or "stingers" like other rays and are completely harmless to humans.

The smooth hammerhead shark is one of nine hammerhead shark species. It differs from other hammerheads by having a rounded head (cephalofoil) that lacks the notches found on other species such as the scalloped hammerhead shark and the great hammerhead shark. Smooth hammerhead sharks benefit from superior depth perception and a 360-degree view of their surroundings due to their rounded heads.

The southern stingray is a whiptail stingray of medium size native to the western Atlantic Ocean. The southern stingray, unlike spotted eagle rays, spends much of its time in contact with the seafloor, often buried in soft sediment with only its large eyes exposed. The mouth of the southern stingray is on the ventral (bottom) side of its head, and it uses an electric sense to locate invertebrate and fish prey. Its preferred prey includes a wide variety of shrimp, crabs, and crustaceans.

The spinner shark is a fast and agile predator that feeds by spinning out of the water in quick bursts of speed to catch a meal. Because its fins have grey or black tips, this slender shark is frequently confused with a blacktip shark. The spinner shark is found all over the world and is frequently caught by commercial fishers, making it a near threatened species today.

The spiny dogfish is known by several names, including piked dogfish, rock salmon, and spiky dog, but only one accurately describes this shark's unique defence strategy. The spiny dogfish is a small but mighty predator that uses sharp, venomous spines in the front of each dorsal fin to attack passing fish. They are one of the most abundant living shark species in the ocean, but they are not dangerous to humans.

The spotted eagle ray is one of the largest eagle rays, reaching widths of nearly 11 feet (over 3 m). Only manta rays grow larger. Spotted eagle rays, like all eagle rays, swim actively and do not lie motionless on the seafloor like the closely related whiptail stingrays (e.g., southern stingray). They are foraging predators that eat a variety of invertebrates and fish. The spotted eagle ray, as the name suggests, is covered in spots and other markings. Throughout its range, it is indistinguishable from any other species.

The flat, expertly camouflaged tasselled wobbegong waits patiently on the ocean floor for unwary victims to swim a little too close. It belongs to the family of carpet sharks, so named because of their propensity to live on the seafloor. The tasselled wobbegong admirably blends in to its environment in coral reefs along the northern shore of Australia, throughout the islands of New Guinea, and Indonesia, thanks to its blotchy coloration and the highly branched skin flaps that conceal its mouth and head.

The vertical bars that cover the sides of the tiger shark's body give it its name. Although these bars become less evident as people become older, they are still quite noticeable to children and remain at least partially visible throughout their lives. The tiger shark, which can grow to a minimum length of 18 feet (5.5 metres) and weighs 2000 pounds (almost a metric tonne), is the second-largest predatory shark after the great white. It is the fourth-largest shark overall.

The beautiful, non-lethal whale shark is the biggest fish in the world. Whale sharks, which may grow to be the size of a school bus, filter-feed on small plankton and fish eggs as they swim slowly and with their enormous jaws open. They are one of only three shark species that eat on filters.

The whitetip reef shark is a thin, medium-sized shark that gets its name from the white tips on its dorsal and tail fins. In the Indian and Pacific Oceans coral reef ecosystems, whitetip reef sharks are renowned for using their slim bodies to navigate through caves and fissures.