Science & Nature
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This shark uses a long, tooth-lined snout like a blade to slash at schooling fish.
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This cool-water shark of the North Pacific preys heavily on the fish that shares its name.
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This acrobatic shark is known for leaping and spinning while chasing schools of baitfish.
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This small, cigar-shaped shark has a light-producing underside and a name shared with a paper toy.
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This small, patterned shark lays eggs in leathery pouches nicknamed mermaid's purses.
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This stocky, warm-bodied mackerel shark of cool North Atlantic waters is a relative of the great white.
PORBEAGLEThis coastal shark travels in massive, tightly packed groups, a habit reflected in its common name.
SCHOOLThis shark's short, stubby tail fin sets it apart from its longer-tailed relatives.
SMALLTAILThis primitive deep-water shark has an extra pair of gill slits beyond the usual five.
SIXGILLThis coastal relative of the catshark patrols temperate waters and is named after a hunting dog.
HOUNDThis shark's pointed snout is unusually sharp and slender compared to its relatives.
SHARPNOSEThis species is named for a bay near Sydney, Australia, where it was first described.
JACKSONThis striped shark shares its name with a set of sleepwear.
PYJAMAThis slim, migratory shark is a popular catch for anglers along the coasts of Britain and Europe.
TOPEThis small, spiny bottom-dweller is one of the most common sharks in temperate seas.
DOGFISHThis patterned catshark is marked by dark rings that resemble loops of metal.
CHAINThis deep-water shark's oily, smooth skin gave rise to its descriptive common name.
VELVETThis open-ocean wanderer has rounded, pale fin tips and was once among the most abundant large animals on Earth.
WHITETIPThis reef patroller has a distinctive dark smudge marking the tip of each fin.
BLACKTIPThis shark inflates itself by swallowing water when threatened, expanding like a balloon.
SWELLThis shark's dark grey coloring gives it a name meaning shadowy or dim.
DUSKYThis heavy-bodied shark is a favorite catch of anglers along sandy coastal shallows.
SANDBARNamed for its stocky build and blunt snout, this shark can tolerate both salt water and rivers far upstream.
BULLThis flat-bodied ambush predator buries itself in sand and has broad, wing-like fins.
ANGELThis gentle giant is the second-largest fish and also filters plankton like the whale shark.
BASKINGThis slender, quick-moving family of sharks is named after a sneaky hunting mammal.
WEASELThe world's largest fish species, it feeds mainly on plankton despite its huge size.
WHALEThis yellow-tinted bottom dweller is often seen resting motionless near reefs by day.
NURSEThis small deep-sea predator bites round plugs from larger animals, earning the nickname 'cookie-_ _ _ _ _ _.'
CUTTERAt under 8 inches long, this is one of the smallest shark species ever documented.
DWARFThis small reef shark has eye-like spots near its fins resembling a soldier's shoulder decorations.
EPAULETTEThis heavily armored shark is covered in thorn-like scales for defense.
BRAMBLEThis deep-sea shark stores oil in an oversized liver to help it stay buoyant.
GULPERThis family's wide, flattened head may help it pin down stingrays on the seafloor.
HAMMERThis striped predator is nicknamed the 'garbage can of the sea' for its varied diet.
TIGERThis hammerhead relative has a rounded head instead of a straight edge, like a sailor's cap.
BONNETThis large live-bearing family includes the tiger, bull, and blue sharks among its members.
REQUIEMThis shark's small, fine teeth give it its descriptive common name.
FINETOOTHThis commercially fished shark earned its name because its fins were prized for soup.
SOUPFINNow extinct, this giant prehistoric predator dwarfed even the largest great white sharks alive today.
MEGALODONThis slim, elegant shark is named for its streamlined, agile swimming style.
GRACEFULThis shark's blotchy pattern is named after a venomous African viper.
PUFFADDERA relative of the sixgill shark, this species has one extra slit for a total of seven.
SEVENGILLThis shark's snout has no obvious features, giving it a plain, understated common name.
BLACKNOSEThis roughshark relative has a tall, sail-like first fin standing up on its back.
SAILFINKnown for its long, blade-like snout, this deep-sea species is often called a living fossil.
GOBLINThis blunt-headed shark, named for the sharp spine at the front of each dorsal fin, crushes shellfish.
HORNThis small shark rests motionless on the seafloor by day, unlike most sharks that must keep swimming.
REEFThis deep-sea shark has a glowing belly that helps it blend in when seen from below.
LANTERNThis tiny deep-sea species is among the smallest sharks known, barely longer than a hand.
PYGMYThis predator is named simply for the unusually large size of its snout.
BIGNOSEThis flattened, mottled bottom-dweller, an Australian 'carpet shark,' has a name of Aboriginal origin.
WOBBEGONGThis shark frequents shallow tidal streams and estuaries, giving it its common name.
CREEKThis spiky-backed deep-sea family has a coarse, sandpaper-like dorsal profile that gives it its name.
ROUGHThis shark's fins have pale, silvery-white tips, giving it its name.
SILVERTIPThis spotted predator shares its name with a big cat famous for rosette markings.
LEOPARDThis species has broad, wing-like pectoral fins that give its head a shape used to describe a bird in flight.
WINGHEADThis eel-like species has frilly gill slits and a serpentine, primitive body shape.
FRILLEDThis shark's tail fin is marked with a single distinctive dark spot.
SPOTTAILThis shark is most active after dark, hunting in deep water well below the surface.
NIGHTThis shark shares its name with the Pacific islands where Darwin studied evolution.
GALAPAGOSThis slender shark's narrow snout is shaped like a garden tool used for digging.
SPADENOSEThis fast, slender shark has a smooth metallic sheen and often trails schools of tuna.
SILKYThis shark's rough, sandpaper-like skin inspired its common name.
PRICKLYThis mild-tasting Australian shark is often sold in fish-and-chip shops as flake.
GUMMYThis reddish-brown shark is also commonly called the bronze whaler.
COPPERThis rare deep-sea filter feeder has an enormous mouth and was only discovered in 1976.
MEGAMOUTHOne of the ocean's fastest sharks, this species can leap clear out of the water while hunting.
MAKOThis wide-ranging ocean wanderer has a vivid slate-grey back that fades to a bright white belly.
BLUELiving in frigid Arctic waters, this shark can live for centuries, longer than any known vertebrate.
GREENLANDThis species has bold dark stripes as a juvenile that fade into spots with age.
ZEBRAThis apex predator was made globally infamous by the 1975 thriller film Jaws.
WHITEThis easily startled species darts away at the slightest disturbance, inspiring its name.
NERVOUSThis pale-yellow predator is named for the citrus fruit its skin color resembles.
LEMONThis small shark has a distinctly rounded head shape and favors shallow reef waters.
BULLHEADThis common shark has a sharp spine in front of each of its two dorsal fins for defense.
SPINYThis shy species curls into a circle and covers its eyes with its tail when threatened.
SHYSHARKThis slender oceanic shark has teeth resembling a reptile's, giving it its name.
CROCODILEThis hammerhead species has a wavy, curved front edge on its distinctive head, like the rim of a shell.
SCALLOPEDThis shark uses its extremely long, whip-like tail fin to stun small fish before eating them.
THRESHER