Shark identification Flashcards
(20 cards)
I am grey with a white underside. My second dorsal, anal and the underside of my pectoral fins are black. I have a broad, black tail margin. I am usually around 1.6m. What am I?
GREY REEF SHARK (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos).
Distinguishing feature: black tail margin.
I am brownish-grey with a white underside. I have a black tip on my 1st and 2nd dorsal, anal and the lower lobe of my tail fins. My dorsal fin has a black and a white stripe and I am usually around 1.2m. What am I?
BLACKTIP REEF SHARK (Carcharhinus melanopterus).
Distinguishing feature: black and white striped dorsal fin.
I have a grey body, I occasionally have dark spots on my sides. I have white tips on my 1st dorsal fin and upper tail lobe. I have a blunt nose and am usually around 1.4m. What am I?
WHITETIP REEF SHARK (Triaenodon obesus).
Distinguishing feature: white tips & blunt nose.
I have a grey body with a pale underside. I have white-silvery tips on my 1st, pectoral and caudal fin lobes. I can be up to 3m. What am I?
HINT: I move very fast.
SILVERTIP SHARK (Carcharhinus ablimarginatus).
Distinguishing feature: silver edges on all fins.
I have a grey body with white underside. My anal fin is pale with a white tip. I have black tips on my 2nd dorsal, pectoral and ventral fins as well as my lower tail lobe, and my flank has a silver-white streak. I can be up to 2.8m. What am I?
OCEANIC BLACKTIP SHARK (Carcharhinus limbatus).
Distinguishing feature: black tips on pectorals; silver-white streak on flank.
I have a grey body with a white underside. I lack any distinctive markings. My 1st dorsal fin is short and slopes backwards with a rounded apex. I have an inter dorsal ridge and my pectoral fins are relatively long. My fins may have dusky tips and I am usually around 2.5m. What am I?
SILKY SHARK (Carcharhinus falciformis).
Distinguishing feature: long pectoral fins.
I am pale yellow-brown with a white underside. I have a pair of widely spaced fins of nearly equal height and appear to smile with my mouth open. I am around 3m, what am I?
SICKLEFIN LEMON SHARK (Negaprion acuntidens).
Distinguishing feature: open mouth ‘smile’ and dorsal fin spacing.
I am grey with dusky bars on my body. I have a long slender caudal fin with a pointed tip. I have a blunt nose and am usually 5m. What am I?
TIGER SHARK (Galeocerdo cuvier).
Distinguishing feature: tiger stripes/dusky bars.
I have a dark blue-grey body with silvery-white underside. my upper tail love is long, almost the length of my body. I have long pectoral fins with straight leading edges and round tips, and I am usually 2m. What am I?
PELAGIC THRESHER SHARK (Alopias pelagicus).
Distinguishing feature: Long caudal fin.
I am grey-brown with no body markings. I have a bump-shaped head with a rounded snout and long gill slits. My fins are strongly curved; my pectoral, pelvic, anal and caudal fins are spaced similarly throughout my body. I have white tips on my pectoral fins and am usually 2.3m. What am I?
SNAGGLETOOTH SHARK (Hemipristis elongata).
Distinguishing feature: bump shaped head.
I am grey with a white underside. My head is flattened and extended to either side, with the front edge ‘scalloped’. I am commonly 3m. What am I?
SCALLOPED HAMMERHEAD SHARK (Sphyrna lewini).
Distinguishing feature: hammerhead, scalloped edge, regular size dorsal fin.
I am grey with a white underside. My head is flattened resembling a hammer. I have a large dorsal fin and the rear edge of my ventral fin is curved. I am usually 4.5m. What am I?
GREAT HAMMERHEAD SHARK (Sphyrna mokorran).
Distinguishing feature: large dorsal fin.
I am huge, dark grey with a white underside. I have numerous white spots scattered on m head and arranged in rows & columns on my body. I have a broad mouth and am 10-17m. What am I?
WHALE SHARK (Rhincodon typus).
Distinguishing feature: size and patterns.
I have a patterned body of fine vermiculation, alternating dark brown bars on my dorsal side. I am usually 1.2m, what am I?
INDONESIAN WOBBEGONG SHARK (Orectolobus leptolineatus).
Distinguishing feature: Pattern on dorsal side.
I have an intricate pattern of dark-edged spots. I have a broad, flattened head with continuous fringing of branched tentacles around my mouth and am usually 1.3m. What am I?
TASSELLED WOBBEGONG SHARK (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon).
Distinguishing feature: tasselled mouth tentacles.
I am brown to grey-brown without markings. I have a pair of short nasal barbells. My dorsal fins are close together and almost the same height. I have a wide face, small eyes and am up to 3.2m. What am I?
TAWNY NURSE SHARK (Nebrius ferrugineus).
Distinguishing feature: Wide face & dorsal fin positions.
I am brown to grey-brown. I may retain hints of juvenile banded patterns. My pectoral and ventral fins are forward from dorsal fins. I have a narrow face and am up to 1.4m. What am I?
BROWNBANDED BAMBOO SHARK (Chiloscyllium punctamum).
Distinguishing feature: narrow face, hint of bands.
I have a dense network of large brown spots covering my head, body and fins. Those on the side of the body are arranged in clusters to form polygons. I am up to 72cm. What a I?
INDONESIAN SPECKLED CARPETSHARK (Hemiscyllium freycineti).
Distinguishing feature: large brown spots.
I have a slender body with a short head and tail. My dorsal fins are angled backwards. I have many black and white spots which merge to form horizontal bars and I am up to 70cm. What am I?
CORAL CATSHARK (Atelomycterus marmoratus).
Distinguishing feature: black & white spot markings.
I am pale grey/golden with many leopard-like spots. I have a long tail, half of my total length. I have nasal barbels, ridges on the body and am up to 3.4m. What am I?
ZEBRA SHARK (Stegostoma tigrinum).
Distinguishing feature: Long tail & spot markings.
