Archive for the ELASMOBRANCHS Category

"Dipturus batis" The Common Skate is now a rare species throughout most of its range and has become extinct in some regions. Sadly, there is no longer anything common about the Common Skate. Once abundant, this "Manta Ray of the North" has become very rare. Common Skates belong to theRead more →

"Taeniura lymma" Blue-spotted Stingrays are colorful with large bright blue spots on an oval, elongated disc and blue side-stripes along their tails. Their snout is rounded and angular and the disc has broadly rounded outer corners. They have a short tapering tail that is less than twice theirRead more →

"Carcharhinus brachyurus" Bronze Whaler Sharks also known as Copper Sharks, reach a maximum of 3.25 meters in length and weigh a maximum of 305 kilograms. They are large sharks with blunt, broad snouts, narrow bent cusps on the upper teeth and no inter-dorsal ridges. They are gray to bronze in color onRead more →

"Sphyrna tiburo" The Bonnethead Hammerhead Shark is the smallest of the hammerhead sharks and can be distinguished by its smooth, rounded, shovel-shaped head. The eyes are located at the ends of the evenly rounded lobes of the flattened head, rather than a hammer shaped. Also the head lacks a notchRead more →

"Prionace glauca" Blue Sharks are large slender, blue-indigo-colored sharks. Blue Sharks are found in very deep waters. They prefer cooler water though so they are often found in sub tropical areas where it doesn’t get too warm. It isn’t very often you will see one unless you are diving inRead more →

"Carcharhinus melanopterus” Blacktip Reef Sharks are small sharks measuring up to 1.8 meters with short, bluntly rounded snouts, oval eyes and narrow-cusped teeth. They have 2 dorsal fins and no inter-dorsal ridges. Juveniles (70 centimeters) are yellow-brown on their dorsal (upper) sides, white on their ventral (under) sides; adults are brownish-grayRead more →

"Aetobatus narinari" Spotted Eagle Stingrays grow to at least 3.5 meters disc width and 9 meters total length and have a recorded maximum weight of 230 kilograms. The Spotted Eagle Stingray has a long snout, flat and rounded like a duck's bill, a thick head and a pectoral disc with sharply curved,Read more →

"Cetorhinus maximus" Basking Sharks are recognized by their huge sizes, conical snouts, sub-terminal mouths, extremely large gill slits, dark bristle-like gill rakers inside the gills, strong caudal keels and large lunate (curved) tails. Basking Sharks have numerous, small teeth. Their bodies are mottled gray-brown to slate-gray or black in color, sometimesRead more →

"Chiloscyllium punctatum" The Bamboo Shark has a slender body with an elongated and thick precaudal tail. This species got its name from the bamboo-like bands around the body. The mouth is located closer to the eyes than to the rounded tip of the snout. The spiracles are located belowRead more →

"Squatina squatina" The Angel Shark is a magnificent marine creature, with a flattened body and broad pectoral fins. This ovoviviparous member of the 'Squatinidae' family bears a close resemblance to rays and skates. The Angel Shark inhabits the warm tropical and temperate seas, feeding on an arrayRead more →