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There are over 500 species of sharks, and there is a great deal of diversity among them. Sharks include the world's largest fish, the Whale Shark, as well as some as small as a few inches. Most are predators, but a few filter plankton from the seawater.
Sharks are in the sub-class Elasmobranch, which they share with skates and rays. Shark species are categorized into the 10 orders, although some scientists divide them into 8 orders. Get to know them, here:
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Scientists have created a logical system of classifying most living organisms on Earth using a system called taxonomy. Here is an at-a-glance comparison of the shark orders.
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Frilled sharks, a long, skinny shark that look like an eel, are among the oldest living species of sharks.
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Cow sharks are little known because they spend most of their lives in deep, cold oceans beyond the reach of divers.
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Bramble sharks are named for thorn-like 'dermal denticles' that grow over their body. Bramble sharks are rare, although widely distributed.
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Dogfish sharks are the second largest of shark orders with 128 species. Dogfish are highly diverse.
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Angel Sharks are reminiscent of skates, with flattened bodies. They often hide in the sand, waiting to pounce.
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Sawsharks resemble sawfish, with a long, toothy, sword-like snout to find and slash their prey.
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Bullhead sharks are relatively inelegant for a shark, living clumsily on rocky reefs.
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Carpet Sharks derive their name from both their bottom-dwelling nature and varied coloration. Just don't step on one.
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Mackeral Sharks include the most famous sharks, such as the Thresher, Mako, and the most famous of them all, the Great White Shark.
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The Ground Sharks are the largest of shark orders with 277 currently identified species and includes many of the most 'typical' sharks as well as some unusual ones.
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Definitions of a few words that are used within this introduction to shark species.
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