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