Deep Sea Sharks

Sharks are a valuable part of marine ecosystems. Most sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because they are long-lived, take many years to mature, and only have a few young at a time. Recovery from overfishing can take years or decades for many shark species.

About 350 species of sharks occur worldwide. Sharks are primarily oceanic and are widespread in tropical to temperate zones. Sharks vary greatly in size. The largest species, also the largest of all fishes, is the plankton eating giant the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus). The largest measured specimen was 12.65 m long and weighed 21.5 tonnes, but the Whale Shark probably attains 18 metres. Some of the deepwater shark species attain only about 25cm.

Types of Sharks

• Atlantic Sharpnose Shark
• Angel Shark
• Basking Shark
• Black Dogfish Shark
• Blue Shark
• Brown Smoothhound
• Chain Catshark
• Dusky Shark
• Dwarf Gulper Shark
• False Cat Shark
• Frill Shark
• Gray Smoothhound Shark
• Great Hammerhead Shark
• Great White Shark

• Goblin Shark
• Lemon Shark
• Leopard Shark
• Megamouth Shark
• Nurse Shark
• Porbeagle Shark
• Portuguese Shark
• Rough Sagre Shark
• Sand Tiger Shark
• Shortfin Mako Shark
• Shovelnose Guitarfish
• Smooth Dogfish Shark
• Spiny Dogfish Sharkv
• Thresher Shark
• Tiger Shark
• Whale Shark
• Whitetip Reef Shark
• Wobbegong Shark
• Zebra Shark