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shark
shark member of a group of almost exclusively marine and predaceous fishes. There are about 250 species of sharks, ranging from the 2-ft (60-cm) pygmy shark to 50-ft (15-m) giants. They are found in all seas, but are most abundant in warm waters. Some may enter large rivers, and one ferocious fresh...
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whale shark
whale shark large, plankton-eating shark, Rhincodon typus, found in all tropical seas of the world. The largest known specimens are 50 ft (15 m) long, making them the largest fish in the world. The whale shark feeds largely on plankton, as well as on small fish and crustaceans. It is the only lar...
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basking shark
basking shark large, plankton-feeding shark, Cetorhinus maximus, inhabiting many oceans of the world, especially in temperate regions. Found singly or in schools of up to 100, it spends much of its time on or just below the surface, cruising slowly with its dorsal fin breaking water. It reaches a...
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remora
remora , any of the several species of warmwater fishes of the family Echeneidae, characterized by an oval sucking disk on the top of the head. With this apparatus (a modification of the dorsal fin) the remora, or suckerfish, attaches itself to sharks, swordfishes, drums, marlins, and sea turtles. I...
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white shark
white shark large, ferocious shark, Carcharodon carcharias. Also known as the maneater, this aggressive shark can attack swimmers and boats without provocation. Although not abundant anywhere, it is widely distributed in tropical and temperate oceans and is found in both inshore and deep waters; ...
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mako
mako , heavy-bodied, fast-swimming shark , genus Isurus, highly prized as a game fish. Also known as the sharp-nosed mackerel shark, it is a member of the mackerel shark family, which also includes the great white shark and the porbeagle. The mako is deep blue above and white below, with a coni...
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hammerhead shark
hammerhead shark active, surface-living shark, genus Sphyrina. Its curious head has lateral projections resembling the crossbar of a T, and its eyes and ears are located in the outer tips of the projections. It has been suggested that the extension of the head in the plane of the pectoral fins ma...
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dogfish
dogfish name for a number of small sharks of several different families. Best known are the spiny dogfishes (family Squalidae) and the smooth dogfishes (family Triakidae). Spiny dogfishes have two spines, one in front of each dorsal fin, and lack an anal fin. The common spiny, or piked, dogfish ( S...
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chimaera
chimaera , cartilaginous marine fish, related to the sharks. Also called ratfishes, chimaeras are found in temperate oceans throughout the world, mostly in deep water. They have large heads, long, thin, ratlike tails, and large, fanlike pectoral fins. In many species there is a poison spine in front...
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elasmobranch
elasmobranch , cartilaginous fish, member of the subclass Elasmobranchii of the vertebrate class Chondrichthyes (see Chordata ). This group includes sharks , skates, and rays .
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