There are over 400 living species of sharks in the world’s oceans today. Over the span of shark evolution for the last 400 million years, there have been thousands of different types of sharks.
One of the best known of prehistoric sharks is the megalodon shark, while the most famous modern shark is likely the great white shark. The largest living shark and the world’s largest fish is the whale shark. The whale shark reaches lengths of up to 50 feet, even though it still falls short of estimates for megalodon.
Everyone's heard of the Great Whites. But most people know little of the hundreds of other types of sharks that inhabit the world's oceans. Written by two of the world's leading authorities and superbly illustrated by wildlife artist Marc Dando, this is the first comprehensive field guide to all 440-plus shark species. Color plates illustrate all species, and detailed accounts include diagnostic line drawings and a distribution map for each species. Introductory chapters treat physiology, behavior, reproduction, ecology, diet, and sharks' interrelationships with humans.
- More than 125 original full-color illustrations for fast and accurate identification of each shark family
- Over 500 additional drawings illustrating physical features from different angles
- Clear identification information for each species with details of size, habitat, behavior, and biology
- Quick ID guide helpful for differentiating similar species
- Geographic distribution maps for each species
- For professional and amateur shark enthusiasts
There are surface dwelling or shallow water bottom dwelling sharks that are much more commonly known to people because they are the types of sharks that people usually see. These sharks include species like the tiger shark, sand shark, and lemon shark.
Other species of sharks are almost never seen by human eyes because they only live in deep waters. The portuguese shark has been caught at depths of nearly 9,000 feet, making it the world record for the deepest caught shark. Other deep sea sharks like the dwarf gulper shark and the black dogfish shark are rarely seen by humans.
We have put together a brief guide on some of the best known types of sharks. Take a look through the list of species below to learn more about some of these fascinating sharks.
Types of Sharks
- Great White Shark – Quite possibly the most popular living species of shark, largely due to it’s use in the Jaws movies.
- Carcharodon Megalodon – The best known prehistoric shark because of it’s huge size and fossil teeth that still remain.
- Spiny Dogfish Shark – Scientists know the most about this shark because it is one of the most abundant sharks in the entire world.
- Dwarf Gulper Shark – Measuring only two feet long, this shark is a bottom dweller in the deep seas of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
- Black Dogfish Shark – Deep water shark that has been found in near freezing water.
- Portuguese Shark – Deep water shark caught at nearly 9,000 feet deep, making it the deepest known shark in the world.
- Rough Sagre Shark – Another deep water shark known as the great lanternshark because of it’s green glowing belly.
- Goblin Shark – A deep see shark often called the ugliest living shark because of it’s malformed appearance.
- Lemon Shark – A typically shallow water species that is generally found in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans around a depth of 300 feet.
- Whale Shark – The world’s largest fish and living shark is actually a filter feeder, although it eats fish instead of whale diets like krill.
- Sand Tiger Shark – A fierce shallow water predator that can be found in 3 of the 5 major oceans. It is commonly known to eat it’s sibling eggs to become the sole offspring of it’s parents.
- Tiger Shark – Another fierce shallow water shark that is known to feed on people. Residents and tourists to Hawaii have been fiercely attacked by these.
One of the famous types of sharks, the Great White Shark