1. Hammerheads, Tigers, and Makos!
Oh my!

2. Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus
Cet = whale, rhin = nose, maxim = largest

3. Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus
One of the largest sharks (2nd only to the whale shark)
Maximum total length – about 40 feet long
Filter feeders – plankton
Filters about 2000 tons of water per hour!!
Found in temperate and cold seas but stays over the continental shelf
Found alone and in groups of up to 100
Considered harmless to humans
Endangerment status – vulnerable
Threats include:
overfishing/bycatch
net entanglements
collisions with boats/propellers
tourism/harrassment
baskingshark.flv

4. Black Tip Reef Shark Carcharhinus melanopterus
Carchar = jagged, rhin = nose, melan = black, pter = fin

5. Black Tip Reef Shark Carcharhinus melanopterus
Requiem shark
Prefers shallow waters close inshore and coral reefs
About 5-6 feet long
Feeds on smalls fish and inverts
Found worldwide (including Gulf Coast)
Viviparous – live birth (placental link to young)
2-4 pups per litter and gestation is about 16 months
Not dangerous to humans because of smaller size
Endangerment status – Low Risk/Near Threatened

6. Common Thresher Shark Alopias vulpinus
Alope = fox, vulp = fox, cunning

7. Common Thresher Shark Alopias vulpinus
Very long caudal fin – upper lobe is about half the entire size of the shark
Maximum length – about 20 feet
Feeds mostly on schools of fish – herding them with their tails
Found worldwide (including Gulf Coast)
Very fast swimmers, can leap out of water
Can elevate body temp above that of surrounding
Ovoviviparous – 2 pups at a time – uterine cannibalism
Endangerment status – insufficient data

8. Gray Reef Shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchus
Carchar = jagged, rhin = nose, ambl = blunt, rhynch = snout, beak

9. Gray Reef Shark Carcharhinus amblyrhynchus
Found in Indian Ocean and western Pacific
Maximum length – about 8 ft
Feeds on fish, squid, octopus, crabs, and lobsters
Viviporous (placental link)– 1-6 pups per litter – Gestation about 12 months
Bites to humans have been recorded – mostly accidental (bite and run)
Distinct display of aggresion
Endangerment Status – low risk/near threatened

10. Great Blue Shark Prionace glauca
Prion = saw, glauc = gray, bluish

11. Great Blue Shark Prionace glauca
Requiem shark
Unmistakable with its long pectoral fins, slender body, and blue color
Viviporous (placental link)– up to 130 pups per litter!! (but usually 25-30)
Born in open water with no protection (probably why birth rate is so high)
Found worldwide (including Gulf of Mexico)
Feeds mostly on small fish and inverts
No spiracles
Up to 12 feet long
Endangerment Status –
Low risk/Near threatened
babyblueshark.flv
blueshark.flv

12. Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias
Carchar = jagged, odon = tooth

13. Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias
Very distinct countershading coloration
Found worldwide (including the Gulf of Mexico)
Able to elevate body temp higher than surrounding water which allows for higher activity level for an animal its size
Mostly travels solo – but have been found in groups – somewhat social
Feeds on marine mammals and other sharks
Up to 21 feet long
Ovoviviporous – embryos exhibit oophagy (eat eggs)
Pregnant females rarely found greatwhiteshark.flv
Endangerment Status – vulnerable

14. Hammerhead Shark Sphyrna zygaena
Sphyr = hammer/mallet, zygaen = hammerhead shark

15. Hammerhead Shark Sphyrna zygaena
Found worldwide (including Gulf of Mexico)
Up to 13 feet long
Feeds on sharks, rays, fish, crustaceans, cephalopods
Viviporous (placental link)– pups per litter
Very active species – often forms migrating schools
Shape of head thought to have many purposes
provide lift
increases maneuverability – can turn more easily
ampullae of lorenzini distributed over larger surface area which
provides more efficiency in finding food
Endangerment Status – Low risk/Near threatened

16. Other hammerhead sharks
Photos to aid in the identification of the different hammerhead species in the Atlantic Ocean: A. Smooth Hammerhead,
B. Scalloped Hammerhead,
C. Great Hammerhead,
D. Bonnethead

17. Mako Shark Isurus oxyrhinchus
Is = equal, urus = tail, oxy = sharp, rhin = nose

18. Mako Shark (Short fin) Isurus oxyrhinchus
Fastest shark – 31 mph, up to 45+ in short bursts (68mph!!)
Slender body, hydrodynamic with long conical snout
Found in temperate and tropical waters (including Gulf of Mexico)
Metallic blue with white ventral surface
Up to 13 feet long
Ovoviviparous - embryos feed on eggs (oophagus)
Feeds on fish like mackerels, tuna, swordfishes, other sharks
Endangerment Status – Low risk/near threatened
mako.flv

19. Nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum
Ginglym = hinge, stom = mouth, cirr = curl of hair

20. Nurse shark Ginglymostoma cirratum
Abundant in shallow waters and coral reefs
Found in western Atlantic, eastern Pacific (also Gulf of Mexico)
Feeds on crustaceans, snails, sea urchins, small fish
Ovoviviparous – max litter size – 28 pups
Up to 13 feet long
Endangerment status – vulnerable
Considered harmless but have attacked when provoked
nurseshark.flv

21. Oceanic White Tipped Shark Carcharhinus longimanus
Carchar = jagged, rhin = nose, long = long, manus = hand

22. Oceanic White Tipped Shark Carcharhinus longimanus
Large stocky build, paddle like pectoral fins, large rounded dorsal fin
Found worldwide (including Gulf of Mexico)
Feeds mostly on fish, cephalopods, sea birds, stingrays, garbage
Viviparous – 1-15 pups per litter, gestation about 12 months
Up to 9 feet long
Endangerment Status – low risk/near threatened
oceanicwhitetipshark.flv

23. Pygmy Shark Euprotomicrus bispinatus
Eu = good/well, prot = first, micrus = small,
bi = two, spin = spine/thorn

24. Pygmy Shark Euprotomicrus bispinatus
Member of the sleeper sharks
Up to 10 inches in length
Found in subtropical to temperate waters
Stays in deep water during the day, surfaces at night
Feeds on squid, fish, and crustaceans
Ovoviviparous – 8 pups per litter
Endangerment status – least concern

25. Spiny Dogfish Shark Squalus acanthias
Squal = dogfish, acanth = spine/thorn

26. Spiny Dogfish Shark Squalus acanthias
Heavily studied shark dogfish.flv
Probably most abundant
Prefers deeper waters
Pretty much found worldwide
Up to 5 feet long
Feeds mainly on fish, inverts, cephalopods, crustaceans, and even sea cucumbers and jellyfishes.
Ovoviviparous – up to 20 pups per litter – gestation 22 months!
Sexual maturity is reached at about 20 years!!
Lifespan - 70 years
Endangerment status – low risk/near threatened

27. Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvieri
Gale = weasel/cat, cerd = cunning/fox,
cuvieri = name of famous scientist

28. Tiger Shark Galeocerdo cuvieri
Found worldwide in temperate and tropical seas (Gulf of Mexico too)
Dark gray coloration with vertical stripes
Mainly solitary and are nocturnal – usually moving inshore at night and retreating to deep waters during the day
Can get up to 26 feet long
Probably biggest variety of diet – fishes, sharks, turtles, birds, inverts, and even garbage
Ovoviviparous – pups per litter
Endangerment status – low risk/near threatened tigershark.flv

29. Whale Shark Rhincodon typus
Rhin = nose, odon = tooth, typ = a type

30. Whale Shark Rhincodon typus
Largest living fish species whaleshark.flv
Up to 65 feet in length
Found in tropical and warm oceans (Gulf of Mexico too)
Lifespan – 70 years!
Filter feeder – suctioning in phytoplankton, micro-algae, krill, sometimes small nekton like small fish and inverts.
Ovoviviparous – up to 300 pups per litter!!
Endangerment status - vulnerable

31. White-Tipped Reef Shark Triaenodon obesus
Tri = three, aeno = terrible, odon = tooth
Obesus = to eat away/devour

32. White-Tipped Reef Shark Triaenodon obesus
Very abundant in reefs and prefers shallow waters
Indo-pacific and central pacific
Feeds on reef fish and crustaceans
Up to about 6 feet in length
Viviparous (placental link) – 1-5 pups per litter, reach sexual maturity at 5 years
Lifespan – about 25 years
Endangerment status – low risk/near threatened
whitetipreefsharks.flv

33. Sharks of the Gulf

34. Requiem Sharks