Archive for the ELASMOBRANCHS Category

"Pristiophorus cirratus" The ocean floor is home to some odd beasts. The Saw Shark is a type of shark best known by its saw-like snout. The Saw Shark is definitely one of the strangest. It’s very easy to see where the name comes from: the long, flat snout bears aboutRead more →

"Heterodontus francisci" Horn Sharks have short, blunt heads with high ridges above their eyes and large fin spines including 2 prominent dorsal fin spines hence their name. They are small and quite beautiful sharks reaching about 1.22 meters in length. These sharks are a sluggish, solitary species with broad,Read more →

"Rhinobatos productus" The Shovelnose Ray was first misidentified as a shark due to its dorsal fin shape, it was changed to a ray upon further research. Both genders of Shovelnose Ray prefer to feed on a large number of bottom dwelling invertebrates, from worms and small fish toRead more →

"Somniosus microcephalus" Greenland Sharks are named for their lethargic behavior; Somniosus which refers to "sleep" and microcephalus which means "small head". In spite of their small heads, Greenland Sharks are large, robust sharks that reach up to 6.5 meters in length and weigh up to 900 kilograms. With an life expectancy of at leastRead more →

"Mitsukurina owstoni" Goblin Sharks are bizarre, sinister-looking creatures. The common name Goblin Shark is a translation of its old Japanese name tenguzame, a tengu being a Japanese mythical creature often depicted with a long nose & red face. Another name for this species is the Elfin Shark. GrowingRead more →

"Ginglymostoma cirratum" Nurse Sharks reach a maximum of 4.3 meters total length; maximum weight is 110 kilograms. The Nurse Shark is a common reef-associated bottom-dwelling shark found in brackish and marine environments in the shallows to 100 meters. The origin of the name Nurse Shark is unclear. It may come fromRead more →

"Sphyrna mokarran" The Great Hammerhead Shark is the largest of the hammerhead sharks and is reported to reach up to 6.1 meters in length and weigh up to at least 581 kilograms. These sharks have a flat hammer-shaped head with a notch at the center located along the front edge.Read more →

"Carcharhinus obscurus" Dusky Sharks reach 4.2 meters in length and weigh a maximum of 346.5 kilograms. This large shark species has a broad, rounded snout and triangular saw-edged upper teeth. Their curved pectoral fins are moderate in size and they have an inter-dorsal ridge on their backs. The Dusky is blue-gray toRead more →

"Isistius brasiliensis" Cookie-Cutter Sharks are small, deep-water sharks named for the cookie-shaped wounds they leave on larger fish and marine mammals. Cookie-Cutters have cylindrical bodies that reach up to 50 centimeters in length. They have conical snouts and 2 low spineless dorsal fins positioned at the posterior (rear) end of their bodies. They are darkRead more →

"Dasyatis pastinaca" The Common Stingray is mostly found throughout the Black Sea and the Mediterranean, though it is also found throughout the north-eastern Atlantic ranging from Norway and the western Baltic Sea to Madeira and the Canary Islands. They have also been seen in the eastern Pacific along the coastRead more →