White spots on blue/grey body

1. Order: Orectolobiformes (Carpet Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth well in front of eyesFamily: Rhincodontidae – Whale Sharks Ridges along body White spots on blue/grey body Huge almost terminal transverse mouth juvenile A huge, blunt-headed shark with an almost terminal mouth and a prominent checkerboard pattern of light spots, horizontal and vertical stripes on a dark background. Caudal fin crescentic, with a strong lower lobe but no subterminal notch. It has small, scale-like teeth and feeds by filtering plankton with special sieve-like modifications of the gill bars. Grows to max of 16m

2. Order: Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, no nictating eyelidsFamily: Odontaspididae – Sandtiger or Raggedtooth Sharks High arched back spots on blue/grey body Thin elongated teeth Sand sharks are brownish-gray with rust-colored spots on top and white underneath. They have a flattened, cone-shaped snout and a distinctive, oblong tail with a notched, upper lobe that is significantly longer than the lobe below. Individuals range in size from 6.5 to 10.5 feet (2 to 3.2 meters) in length.Sand tigers are the only shark known to come to the surface and gulp air. They store the air in their stomachs, which allows them to float motionless in the water, seeking prey. They are voracious predators, feeding at night and generally staying close to the bottom. Their staple is small fish, but they will eat crustaceans and squid as well.

3. Order: Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, no nictating eyelidsFamily: Pseudocarchariidae – Crocodile Sharks 2 dorsal fins Mouth behind eyes Light edged fins The pectoral fins are small, broad, and rounded. The pelvic fins are nearly as large as the pectorals. The first dorsal fin is small, low and angular; the second dorsal fin is smaller than the first but larger than the anal fin. The caudal fin is asymmetrical with a moderately long upper lobe. The caudal peduncle is slightly compressed with weak lateral keels. The dermal denticles are small, with a flattened crown bearing small ridges and backward-pointing cusps[6] It is dark brown above and paler below, sometimes with a few dark blotches on the sides and belly and/or a white blotch between the corner of the mouth and the first gill slit. The fins have thin translucent to white margins.[11] The crocodile shark grows to a maximum length of 1.1 m (3.6 ft). Most individuals are 1 m (3 ft) long and weigh 4–6 kg (9–13 lbs).

4. Order: Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, no nictating eyelidsFamily: Mitsukurinidae – Goblin Sharks Flat round snout Protruding jaw Goblin sharks can grow to 11 feet (3.3 m) long and weigh 350 lb (159 kg).[15] They have the typical shark's semi-fusiform body. Unlike the common image of sharks, M. owstoni's fins are not pointed and instead are low and rounded, with the anal and pelvic fins significantly larger than the dorsal fins. Their heterocercal tails are similar to the thresher shark's, with the upper lobe significantly longer proportionately than other sharks'. In addition, the goblin shark's tail lacks a ventral lobe.[2][16] The pink coloration, unique among sharks, is due to blood vessels underneath a semi-transparent skin (which bruises easily), thereby causing the coloring. The fins have a bluish appearance.

5. Order: Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines,mouth behind eyes?, no nictating eyelidsFamily: Megachasmidae – Megamouth Sharks Huge round snout Mouth terminates behind eyes Filter feeder An extremely rare species of deepwater shark. Since being discovered in 1976, only a few megamouth sharks have been seen with 47 specimens known to have been caught or sighted as of 2009 and three recordings on film. Like the basking shark and whale shark, it is a filter feeder, and swims with its enormous mouth wide open, filtering water for plankton and jellyfish. Mouth exceptionally large, terminal snout short and broadly rounded, gill openings moderately long, but not extending onto the top of the head, teeth small and hooked, in numerous rows, gill rakers unique: cartilage-cored, finger-like dermal papillae, precaudal pits present second dorsal and anal fins small, both with pivoting bases precaudal pits present; tail stalk thick without lateral keels, upper lobe of caudal fin long (about half the length of the body), lower lobe well developed. Max length 5.5m

6. Order: Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, no nictating eyelidsFamily: Alopiidae – Thresher Sharks Extremely small 2nd dorsal and anal fin Elongated upper lobe of caudal fin Thresher sharks are fairly slender, with small dorsal fins and large, recurved pectoral fins. With the exception of the Bigeye thresher, these sharks have relatively small eyes positioned to the forward of the head. Coloration ranges from brownish, bluish or purplish gray dorsally with lighter shades ventrally.[5] Max length between 5-6m.

7. Order: Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, no nictating eyelidsFamily: Cetorhinidae – Basking Sharks Huge filter feeding mouth Distinctive characteristics of the basking shark include a strongly keeled caudal peduncle, highly textured skin covered in placoid scales and a layer of mucus, a pointed snout (which is distinctly hooked in younger specimens), and a lunate caudal fin. In large individuals the dorsal fin may flop over when above the surface. Colouration is highly variable (and likely dependent on observation conditions and the condition of the animal itself): commonly, the colouring is dark brown to black or blue dorsally fading to a dull white ventrally. The sharks are often noticeably scarred, possibly through encounters with lampreys or cookiecutter sharks. The basking shark's liver, which may account for 25% of its body weight, runs the entire length of the abdominal cavity and is thought to play a role in buoyancy regulation and long-term energy storage. Max length of 12m+

8. Order: Lamniformes (Mackerel Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, no nictating eyelidsFamily: Lamnidae – Mackerel Sharks Large black eye Tiny 2nd Dorsal fin These sharks have pointed snouts, spindle-shaped bodies, and large gill openings. The first dorsal fin is large, high, erect and angular or somewhat rounded. The second dorsal and anal fins are minute. The caudal peduncle has one or two distinct keels. The teeth are large. The fifth gill opening is in front of the pectoral fin and spiracles are sometimes absent. They are heavily-built sharks, sometimes weighing nearly twice as much as sharks of comparable length from other families. Max length 4-6m

9. Order: Carchariniformes (Ground Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, nictating eyelidsFamily: Scyliorhinidae – Cat Sharks Patterned body Cat like eyes Cat sharks may be distinguished by their elongated cat-like eyes and two small dorsal fins set far back. Most species are not particularly large, with lengths up to 60 – 70 cm or so, although the humpback cat shark, Apristurus gibbosus, from the deep waters of the South China Sea has been recorded at 4 m in length. Most of the species have a patterned appearance, ranging from stripes to patches to spots. They feed on invertebrates and smaller fish. Some species are ovoviviparous, but most lay eggs in tough egg-cases with curly tendrils at each end, known as mermaid's purses.

10. Order: Carchariniformes (Ground Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, nictating eyelidsFamily: Proscylliidae – Finback Cat Sharks Long upper lobe of caudal fin Cat like eyes Varied body colour Dwarf to small sharks (15-65cm) with narrowly rounded head, rudimentary nictating eyelids. No barbels or nassal groves. the smallest carcharhinoid: the Pygmy Ribbontail Catshark (Eridacnis radcliffei); this species matures at about 6 to 7.5 inches (15 to 19 centimetres), rivaling the smallest squaloids in size. 

11. Order: Carchariniformes (Ground Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, nictating eyelidsFamily: Pseudotriakidae – False/Gollum Cat Sharks Long teardrop spiracle Elongated first dorsal fin The false catshark is a large, bulky, soft-bodied shark that grows up to 3 meters (10 ft) long. It has long, narrow cat-like eyes with rudimentary nictating membranes, long teardrop-shaped spiracles, and broadly angular anterior nasal flaps. The mouth is huge and wide, extending behind the eyes and containing 200 or more rows of small, cuspidate teeth. The first dorsal fin is very long, low, and keel-like, while the second dorsal fin is triangular. The origin of the first dorsal fin is above the free rear tips of the pectoral fins, and the rear base is above the origins of the pelvic fins. The lower lobe of the caudal fin is barely developed. The coloration is a uniform dark brown, with darker posterior edges on the dorsal, pelvic, anal, and caudal fins.[2][3]

12. Order: Carchariniformes (Ground Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, nictating eyelidsFamily: Triakidae – Hound Sharks Long arched mouth Distinctive nasal flap Hound sharks are distinguished by possessing two large spineless dorsal fins, an anal fin, and oval eyes with nictitating eyelids. They are small to medium in size, ranging from 37 centimetres (15 in) to 220 centimetres (7.2 ft) in adult length. They are found throughout the world in warm and temperate waters, where they feed on fishes and invertebrates on the seabed and in midwater.

13. Order: Carchariniformes (Ground Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, nictating eyelidsFamily: Hemigaleidae – Weasel Sharks Precaudal pits Large second dorsal fin Prominent ventral lobe Most species are small, reaching no more than 1.4 m long (4.6 ft), though the snaggletooth shark (Hemipristis elongatus) may reach 2.4 m (7.9 ft). They have horizontally oval eyes, small spiracles, and precaudal pits. There are two dorsal fins with the base of the first placed well forward of the pelvic fins. The caudal fin has a strong ventral lobe and undulations on the dorsal lobe margin. They feed on a variety of small bony fishes and invertebrates; at least two species specialize on cephalopods.

14. Order: Carchariniformes (Ground Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, nictating eyelidsFamily: Carcharhinidae – Requiem Sharks Usually round eyes with no spiracle Precaudal pits Family members have the usual carcharhiniform characteristics. The eyes are round, and the pectoral fins are completely behind the five gill slits. Most species are viviparous, the young being born fully developed. They vary widely in size, from as little as 69 centimetres (2.3 ft) adult length in the Australian sharpnose shark, up to 7.5 metres (25 ft) adult length in the tiger shark.[1]

15. Order: Carchariniformes (Ground Sharks)5 gills, anal fin, 2 dorsal fins, no dorsal fin spines, mouth behind eyes, nictating eyelidsFamily: Sphyrnidae – Hammerhead Sharks The hammer-like shape of the head was thought to help sharks find food, aiding in close-quarters maneuverability and allowing the shark to turn sharply without losing stability. However, it was found that the unusual structure of its vertebrae allowed it to make the turns correctly, more often than its head. The hammer would also shift and provide lift. It was determined recently that the development of vision led to the hammer-like shape. The positioning of the eyes allow for 360 degree vision of the shark. [2] Hammerheads are one of the most negatively buoyant of sharks. Like all sharks, hammerheads have electroreceptory sensory pores called ampullae of Lorenzini. By distributing the receptors over a wider area, hammerheads can sweep for prey more effectively.[3] These sharks have been able to detect an electrical signal of half a billionth of a volt. The hammer also allows the nostrils to be placed further apart, increasing its ability to detect chemical gradients and localize the source.