Gallery 4.2: Shark and Ray Identification

Silky Shark (FAL): Narrow, pointed snout with dorsal fin beginning behind pectoral fin (yellow bar), low ridge running between dorsal fins (red arrow), and black marks on the underside of the pectoral fins (blue arrow). Silky sharks are the most com…

Shortfin Mako Shark (SMA): A pointed, cone-shaped snout, long gill slits behind the head, long and exposed teeth, and a dark, deep blue back, with a white belly (Photo: Jeremy Stafford-Deitsch_IUCN)

Giant Manta Ray (RMB): Very large body (up to 9 m across) with broad head and projections on either side of the mouth, near-black to black on top and whitish on the underside, short and thin tail usually without a spine (Photo: D. Golden)

Oceanic Whitetip Shark (OCS): large rounded first dorsal and pectoral fins with white or mottled tips (red arrows), flattened head and curved snout, small fins may have black tips (yellow arrows). (Photo: NOAA Fisheries)

Whale Shark (RHN): The world’s largest fish (generally 4–12 m long), a filter feeder with a broad, flat head, and a unique color pattern of light spots and vertical and horizontal stripes

Pelagic Stingray (PLS): A wedge-shaped body much wider than it is long, non-protruding eyes, dark purple coloration, and a robust spine (red arrows) (Photo: NOAA Fisheries)