Meet the nine types of sharks in the ocean

Sharks are closely related to skates and rays. We group them together in a subclass of fish called Elasmobranchii.

Instead of bone, shark skeletons are made entirely from cartilage and their bodies are covered in tooth-like scales called dermal denticles. They have between five and seven gill openings, whereas most fish only have one. Most sharks also have an upper jaw that isn’t attached to their skull, allowing them to bite bigger prey.

We split modern sharks into nine key groups known as orders, all varying in size, diet and preferred habitat. Read on to discover the different types of sharks we find in Earth’s oceans.

Mackerel sharks

There are about 15 species of sharks in the Lamniformes order, the group commonly known as mackerel sharks. These animals have cylindrical bodies, cone-shaped heads and circular eyes. They live in a range of habitats including close to shore, open ocean and coral reefs.

Unlike most fish, many mackerel sharks are partially warm-blooded. This means they can regulate their own body temperature, allowing them to be very active even in cold waters.

Some of the world’s most iconic sharks are mackerel sharks, including the great white shark. This huge fish typically grows to between four and five metres in length, though some can exceed six metres. They have torpedo-shaped bodies and powerful tails, making them fast swimmers.

Great white sharks mostly feed on marine mammals, such as seals and sea lions, using their strong sense of smell to detect prey moving through the water. Their hunting strategy often involves a swift, ambush-style attack from below, taking their prey by surprise.

The basking shark, which can be found in British waters, is another well-known member of this order. They’re the second largest living fish, growing up to 12 metres long with a large, triangular dorsal fin on their backs. Basking sharks and great whites are part of the same group, but they lead quite different lives. Basking sharks swim with their mouths wide open to catch plankton, using their gill rakers to stop their food from escaping.

Ground sharks

Ground sharks, also known as Carcharhiniformes, are one of the largest and most diverse groups of sharks. The 296 species are characterised by two dorsal fins, an anal fin – the small fin on their underside, just in front of their tail – no spines and by their eyes either partly or entirely over their mouths.

These sharks hunt a huge variety of prey, including small and large fishes, sea birds, turtles and sea snakes. They’re found in a range of coastal habitats, including freshwater and the seafloor.

The tiger shark is among the species in this order. They get their name from the dark, vertical bars on their bodies, although these fade as they enter adulthood. At around five metres long, they’re the fourth largest shark. Tiger sharks seem to prefer the murky waters of coastal areas and are also commonly found in estuaries and harbours.

Hammerhead sharks are also ground sharks. This famous family have unique, flattened heads and wide-set eyes to scan the ocean. Their heads contain specialised sensory organs that help them to detect the electronic fields created by prey. Hammerhead sharks grow to around six metres and are found all over the world.

Bullhead sharks

Bullhead sharks, or Heterodontiformes, are a small and ancient group of about 10 species. They have broad, rounded heads, five pairs of gill slits and a prominent, rigid spine on each of their two dorsal fins. Their skin is covered in thick, protective dermal denticles, which provide armour-like protection against rough terrain and predators.

The jaws of a bullhead shark contain two types of teeth. They have sharp, pointed teeth at the front for gripping prey and flat, molar-like teeth at the back for crushing hard-shelled animals, such as crabs and sea urchins.

They primarily inhabit coastal, continental shelf waters and are adapted to feeding on the bottom of the ocean.

The Port Jackson shark, which is native to Australia, is a member of this group. Unlike most sharks, they can eat and breathe at the same time. Sharks usually need to swim with their mouths open to force water over the gills. However, the Port Jackson shark can pump water through its gills. This means it doesn’t need to move to breathe and can lie on the ocean floor for long periods of time.

Carpet sharks

Carpet sharks, or Orectolobiformes, are some of the smallest and largest sharks in the world.

Among the tiniest members are in the genus Cirrhoscyllium and reach only 34 centimetres in length. At the opposite end of the size spectrum is the whale shark, the largest living fish, which can grow to more than 18 metres long.

Another remarkable member of this order is the epaulette shark, famous for its ability to ‘walk’. This small, slender shark can move across coral reefs at low tide, along the seafloor, and even on land by using its strong pectoral and pelvic fins to propel itself forward.

Nurse sharks are also part of the carpet shark order. They grow to around four metres and have thousands of serrated teeth that they use to crush prey, such as shellfish. Generally bottom-dwellers, they’re found in the warm waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Angel sharks

Angel sharks, or Squatiniformes, are an ancient order. Fossils of these sharks show that their skeletons haven’t changed much over the last 140 million years.

Angels sharks have a wide, flat body, with large pectoral fins and eyes on the tops of their heads, giving them a ray-like appearance. They’re well-adapted to life on the ocean floor where they will lie in wait for prey, camouflaged in the sand or mud.

Some species, such as the angular angel shark, live in shallow waters. Others, such as Vari’s angel shark, live in deeper, offshore areas. Every species of angel shark that lives around the coasts of the UK and Europe is critically endangered.

Saw sharks

Saw sharks belong to the order Pristiophoriformes. As their common name suggests, they can be recognised by their distinctive, elongated snouts which resemble a saw. This ‘saw’ is formed by the elongation of the cartilage that supports the snout, resulting in a flattened beak-like structure. The teeth along both sides give it a serrated appearance.

These sharks typically inhabit deep waters along continental shelves and slopes. They use their long snouts to stir up the seafloor and catch prey, such as fish and invertebrates. The teeth sticking out from the snout are used to slash and injure prey, making it easier to catch and eat.

Saw sharks can grow to lengths of about 1.5 metres, though some species may grow larger, with their saw-like snouts making up a significant portion of their body length.

Frilled and cow sharks

Although it’s a small group, the Hexanchiformes order is the most primitive. Unlike other sharks which have five pairs of gill openings, frilled and cow sharks have either six or seven, along with one dorsal fin and an anal fin.

The frilled shark lives in deep, dark waters. It has a long, eel-like body that can reach lengths of about two metres. It gets its name from the frilly, lace-like appearance of its gill slits. Their mouths are filled with several rows of long, sharp teeth, each with three points. They eat a variety of fish and other sharks but mostly munch on squid.

Dogfish, lantern sharks and sleeper sharks

The Squaliformes order is a large and diverse of group of sharks. These animals have two dorsal fins, five to seven gill slits and lack an anal fin.

Several families of sharks make up this order, including dogfish, lantern sharks, sleeper sharks, gulper sharks and rough sharks. Squaliforms range in size from the 25-centimetre-long pygmy shark to the Greenland shark, which reaches around six metres.

A notable species in this order is the cookiecutter shark. These belong to the kitefin shark family and are famous for their unique feeding behaviour. When hunting, this shark attaches itself to larger animals using its lips to create suction. It then rotates its body and uses its sharp teeth to carve out a section of flesh, leaving behind a circular shape – a bit like one made with a cookie cutter you’d use for baking.

Another squaliform is the Greenland shark. Reaching up to 400 years old, these may be the oldest living vertebrates. They live in cold waters, such as the Arctic Ocean and North Atlantic, swimming very slowly to preserve their energy. They have a cylinder-shaped body with small eyes and a rounded snout. Due to a parasite which latches onto their cornea, Greenland sharks are often blind meaning they must rely on their other senses to navigate the dark waters.

Bramble sharks

Bramble sharks – animals in the Echinorhiniformes order – have broad, flat heads, with two spineless dorsal fins and large, thorn-like denticles spread over the fins and body.

There are only two species in this group, making it the smallest shark order. The prickly shark is found in the Pacific Ocean. The other species, which is also commonly known as the bramble shark, is found more widely.

These species were once thought of as squaliform sharks, but they’ve now been placed in their own order.