Shark!

4–8

Name That Fish

OBJECTIVE MATERIALS
The student will be able to use a ! copies of Name That Fish funsheet
dichotomous key to identify shark and on page 10
batoid families. ! copies of Key to Families on page 11
! pens or pencils

BACKGROUND
All sharks and batoids belong to a group of fishes called the Chondrichthyes. To help
learn about them, scientists divide them into groups called families. All the sharks in
one family usually will look more like each other than sharks in other families.
To find out which family a shark is in, you would examine the shark carefully. You
would count the gill slits on the sides of the shark’s head. You would look at the shark’s
paired pectoral fins and paired pelvic fins, its one or two dorsal fins, and its anal fin (if
it has one—not all sharks do). And you would look at the shark’s tail, called a caudal fin.
A useful tool for listing characteristics and identifying a shark’s family is a dichotomous
key. The key presents a sequence of questions. Each question offers two choices.

ACTION
1. Distribute copies of the Name That
Fish funsheet and Key to Families
to the students. For this activity, ANSWERS
students may work individually or 1. Rajidae
in learning groups. 2. Scyliorhinidae
2. Instruct students to always begin at 3. Lamnidae
number one of the Key to Families 4. Squalidae
for each shark on the Name That Fish 5. Heterodontidae
funsheet. 6. Hexanchidae
Students read sentences 1A and 1B of 7. Alopiidae
the key. They study Shark 1 for the 8. Pristiophoridae
characteristics referred to in 1A and 9. Carcharhinidae
1B. For each shark, they choose either
10. Rhincodontidae
1A or 1B, and then follow the direc-
11. Dasyatidae
tions given in that letter. When they
can identify the shark family, they 12. Pseudotriakidae
write the family name on the line 13. Sphyrnidae
below each animal. Lead them 14. Mobulidae
through one or two examples.

©1999 Sea World, Inc. 9

 Name
Name That Fish
Use “Key to Families” to help you identify the family of each shark or
batoid on this page.

8.
1.

2.
9.

3.
10.

4.
11.

5.
12.

6.
13.

7. 14.

©1999 Sea World, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 Key to Families
1. A. body kitelike if viewed from the top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 12
B. body not kitelike if viewed from the top . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 2
2. A. anal fin absent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 11
B. anal fin present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 3
3. A. six gill slits present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Hexanchidae
B. five gill slits present . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 4
4. A. dorsal fin with spines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Heterodontidae
B. no spines on dorsal fins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 5
5. A. mouth at front of snout (rather than
on underside of head) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Rhincodontidae
B. mouth on underside of head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 6
6. A. head expanded with eyes at ends of expansion . . . . Family Sphyrnidae
B. head not expanded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 7
7. A. top half of caudal fin about the
same size as bottom half . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Lamnidae
B. top half of caudal fin different
in size than bottom half . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 8
8. A. first dorsal fin very long, almost
half the total length of the body . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Pseudotriakidae
B. first dorsal fin regular length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 9
9. A. caudal fin very long, almost as long as entire body . . Family Alopiidae
B. caudal fin “regular” length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 10
10 A. base of first dorsal fin behind pelvic fins . . . . . . . Family Scyliorhinidae
B. base of first dorsal fin in front of pelvic fins . . . . Family Carcharhinidae
11. A. long point on the end of snout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Pristiophoridae
B. snout without long point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Squalidae
12. A. front of animal has two hornlike appendages . . . . . . Family Mobulidae
B. no hornlike appendages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . go to 13
13. A. small dorsal fin present near tip of tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Rajidae
B. no dorsal fin present near tip of tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Family Dasyatidae

©1999 Sea World, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 oil spill lab
NAME: DATE:

Today we will be making simulated oil spills to see how we can use multiple methods to
clean up the spills. We will also see how these spills, and cleanup methods can affect the
environment.

Supplies: Procedure:
•Containers 1st: Set Up Materials
2nd:Make Oil -Place 5 Tbsp of vegetable oil in mug then add 2 Tbsp of cocoa powder. Mix
to Put Water In (4)
coca powder and oil thoroughly with a popsicle stick
•Oil
3rd: Fill each of the 4 water containers with about ¾ with water
(canola or 4th: Fallow each clean up method.
vegetable) 5th: Answer all refection questions.
•Measuring 6th: Clean Up!
Spoons
•Collecting Cups –
label with each Pre-lab Questions:
method (skim, What effects do oil spills have?
broom, absorb, What method do you think will be best at cleaning up the spill?
dispersing) Why do you think we are learning this?
•Popsicle
Stick
•Water
•Cotton
Balls/Pads
•Spoons
•Dish
Soap
•Straws
•Baster/Syringe
•Cocoa Powder
•Feathers
•Felt
 Method 1: Skim Method 2: Broom
Use a spoon and as skim Connect 3 straws to make a broken triangle
SLOWLY poor the oil into the water to simulate a spill SLOWLY poor the oil into the water to simulate a spill
Try to skim off the oil of the top of the water and place it Move the broom from one end to the other, carrying the
in the “skim” cup oil
Use a baster or syringe and suck up the oil, put all oil in
Reflection:
the “broom” cup

Reflection:

Method 3: Absorber Method 4: Dispersing

Use cotton balls/pads as absorbers
SLOWLY poor the oil into the water to simulate a spill
Try to absorb all the oil off the water off the surface with
the cotton balls/pads
Place all the dirty cotton balls/pads into “absorber” cup
Reflection:
Use dish soap as dispersal agent
SLOWLY poor the oil into the water to simulate a spill
Pour 1Tbsp of dish soap and mix
Watch how the water forms into droplets
Try to skim off the oil of the top of the water and place it
in the “dispersing” cup
Reflection:

Effects on Marine life:

With extra oil: Dip feathers or felt into the oil
Then fell how the oil effects the material and how this may effect marine life.
 Reflection Questions

Which method of cleaning up the oil worked best? - The fastest?

Are there any other methods you can think of?

How does the dispersion method affect the environment?

Were there any differences in clean up from salt to freshwater?

What other factors can oil spills affect besides our environment?

Vocabulary Worksheet

Name: Date:


To further our knowledge of “Shark Identification” let’s work to understand the terms used in
the lesson. Use a resource (dictionary or online database) to write a definition for each of the
terms in your own words.


Hierarchy



Taxonomic




Chordata




Chondrichthyes




Osteichthyes




Taxonomic Hierarchy




Kingdom

SHARK  CROSSWORD  PUZZLE  

This  worksheet  was  taken  from  the  Shark  Research  Ins4tute’s  shark  ac4vi4es  booklet  
SHARK  SPECIES  WORD  SEARCH    

Basking



Blue



Carpet

Cookie Cutter


Goblin


Great White

Hammerhead


Mako


Megamouth

Reef




Thresher


Tiger

Whale



Whitetip


Wobbegong

SHARK  WORD  SCRAMBLE  

KASGNIB  

MRADEMAHEH  

TEGIR  

HIDFSGO  

RSRHHETE  

ELBU  

DARANBS  

EGBRAEOPL  

Unscramble  the  shark  species  above-­‐  all  of  which  can  be  found  off  of  Cape  Cod,  
then  unscramble  the  leNers  found  in  the  circles  to  solve  this  final  puzzle!  

W
SHARK  TEETH  WORKSHEET  
Look  at  the  shape  of  each  set  of  shark  teeth.  Then  iden4fy  which  tool  func4ons  
in  a  similar  way,  as  well  as  which  prey  each  shark  could  successfully  hunt.  

This  worksheet  was  taken  from  the  Shark  Research  Ins4tute’s  shark  ac4vi4es  booklet  
Cross  Word  Answers   Shark  Teeth  Worksheet  Answers  

Across   Sand  Tiger  Shark  

1.  hammerhead   -­‐ Fork  
4.  goblin   -­‐ Small  Fish  
6.  teeth  
8.  plankton   Nurse  Shark  
9.  smell   -­‐Pliers  
10.  whale   -­‐Crab  
11.  three  
12.  cookie  cuNer   Great  White  Shark  
-­‐Saw  
Down   -­‐Big  Fish  
2.  mako  
3.  4ger  
4.  great  white  
5.  bull   Word  Scramble  Answers  
7.  thresher  
8.  pup   Basking  
Hammerhead  
Tiger  
Dogfish  
Thresher  
Blue  
Sandbar  
Porbeagle  

Great  White  
COLOR AND LEARN:
SHARKS OF
MASSACHUSETTS!

This book belongs to:

 WHAT IS A SHARK?
Sharks are fish that have vertebrae (skeletons) made of cartilage instead of
bones. Sharks come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Sharks have
different kinds of teeth, feeding patterns, swimming styles, and behaviors that
help them to survive in all different kinds of aquatic habitats!

Can you label the different parts of a shark?

second dorsal fin caudal (tail) fin pelvic fin

gills anal fin pectoral fin
nostril mouth eye
Dorsal fin

There are around 500 species of sharks in

the world. Massachusetts coastal waters
provide ideal habitat for several kinds of Atlantic Ocean
sharks that visit our waters each season! Massachusetts
 HOW LONG HAVE SHARKS
BEEN ON EARTH?
Sharks have been on Earth since before the dinosaurs! Scientists learn about
early sharks by studying fossils. Shark fossils can tell us a lot about what food
the shark ate, what their habitat looked like, and how they are related to other
sharks. The ancient sharks on this page are extinct.

Acanthodes (ah-can-tho-deez), or
“spiny shark,” was the first fish to
have a cartilage skeleton!

Cladoselache (clay-do-sel-ah-kee)
had a body and tail shaped for
swimming fast. It did not have the
same kind of skin that we see in
modern sharks today.

Stethacanthus (stef-ah-can-thus), or “anvil shark”,

had a dorsal fin shaped like an ironing board!

450 370 360 200

MILLIONS OF YEARS AGO DINOSAURS EVOLVE
 WHAT ARE “MODERN” SHARKS?
“Modern” sharks are species that have body parts (both inside and out!) that
can be found on sharks living today.

Goblin sharks are deep sea dwellers

that still exist today! With a flat snout
and a jaw that “pops” forward to grab
fish, it is a very odd looking shark!

Megalodon is the largest fish to have ever

lived! Now extinct, its name means “big tooth”,
a good name for a shark that was 60 feet long!

White sharks appeared only very recently.

When compared to a Megalodon this modern
day predator looks tiny!
145 60 6.5
DINOSAURS GO EXTINCT
HOW BIG DO SHARKS GET?
The largest shark in the world is
the whale shark. It can grow to
40 feet long and 40,000 pounds -
thats the size of a school bus!

ELASMO-ELEMENTARY school

The smallest shark in the world is the dwarf

lantern shark. At just 8 inches long, its the
same length as your pencil!
 WHERE DO PUPS COME FROM?
Baby sharks are called pups, and amazingly there are THREE different kinds
of ways shark pups can make their way into this world. Sharks pups are born
ready to swim and hunt, with no help from mom or dad needed!

Some sharks are oviparous (oh-vip-er-uh s).

These sharks lay tough, leather-like eggs in a
safe place on the bottom of the ocean.
You might find a “mermaid purse”
on your next beach trip! These
are the (usually) empty egg cases
from sharks and rays!

Some sharks are ovoviviparous (oh-voh-vah-

vip-er-uh s). The pups hatch out of their eggs
while still inside their mother! Pups eat extra
stored eggs (or each other!) until they are big
enough to be born! shortfin mako

dusky shark
Some sharks are viviparous (vah-vip-er-uh s). These
shark grow their pups in their body almost the same
way as mammals, with a placental connection!
DO SHARKS HAVE GOOD VISION?
Most sharks can see very well and are even able to detect
movement in very dark, murky water!

In clear water, sharks will see their

prey when its is 70 - 100 feet away.

Some sharks have a nictitating membrane,

which is an eyelid. The shark closes it when
hunting to protect their eye from scratches!

Sharks that do not have a nictitating membrane can roll their eyes into the back of their head!
This is why white sharks have totally white eyes when they attack their prey and feed!
DO SHARKS HAVE SCALES?
Like most fish, sharks do have scales!

Shark scales are called denticles, and

they are very small teeth that grow in the
skin! This special skin protects the shark
and helps it to swim fast!
 HOW MANY TEETH DO
SHARKS HAVE?
Some sharks, like the sandbar, can grow and lose over 35,000 teeth
in their lifetime! ALL sharks have teeth, but the shape and number of
teeth depends on the kind of food they eat.

TATES OF AM
DS ER
ITE
IC
UN

QU
ART AR
ER D OLL

Sharks that tear off big bites of food

have sharp, serrated cutting teeth.
The white shark has teeth the size of
quarters!
Yes, even basking sharks have tiny little
teeth lining their mouth! They are called
non-functional teeth, since the shark
doesn’t use them for eating.

Sharks that eat fish have long, needle-like

teeth used for holding onto slippery food.

Sharks that eat hard shelled animals (like

clams and lobsters) have thick, plate-like
teeth that crush their prey.
DO SHARKS HAVE A 6TH SENSE?
We share five senses with sharks: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing.
Sharks have an additional sense called electroreception!

Sharks have hundreds of pores on their snouts,

skin pore
called ampullae of Lorenzini. Sharks can sense
electricity and changes in temperature through
these sensory organs!

jelly tube
nerves

All living creatures produce an electrical field, which sharks can sense through
these pores! They also might use the pores to help navigate around the globe,
sensing the electric fields in ocean currents!
 DO SHARKS SLEEP?
While some sharks can lay still and rest, many sharks have to
keep swimming in order to breathe!

Oxygen rich water and comes out

flows into its mouth... through its gills!

The sandbar shark is a obligant ram

ventilator shark, which means it
must swim all the time to keep water
moving over its gills.

The spotted wobbegong

is a type of “carpet shark”,
and it spends most of its
time laying on the bottom
of the shallow ocean.

It can pump water

through its gills from
holes (called spiracles)
on the top of its head!
 HOW DO SCIENTISTS
STUDY SHARKS?
With shark population numbers dropping, it has never been more important for
scientists to study shark migrations, behavior, and life history. The more we know
about these incredible creatures, the more we can help protect them!

Here in Massachusetts, you might see a

bright yellow receiver buoy like this one...
and it is most likely tracking white sharks!

Some scientists will put harmless tags on the back of sharks, which
alert scientists everytime they swim close to a special buoy. The
technology works a lot like the toll passes we have in our cars!
 FEEDING FRENZY!
Five species of shark are hunting for food along the Massachusetts
coastline. Each shark captures a different food item to eat.
Can you match the shark to its prey?

Squid Lobster Seal Bluefish Herring

White Shark
Blue Shark
Smooth Dogfish
Shortfin Mako
Porbeagle

As you read through the clues, put an “O” in the box of a match you know to be true, and
an “X” in the box of a match you know to be false. HINT: when you put an “O” in a box, the
boxes above and below, and to the left and right of it, will be an “X”.

1. No shark is eating food that starts with the same letter as its name.
2. The smooth dogfish uses its plate-like teeth to crush the hard shelled animal it is eating
today.
3. The blue shark is eating an invertebrate today.
4. The white shark is eating a mammal today.
5. The shortfin mako is hunting a “colorful” fish for its meal today.

Eat Here

Diner
 HELP THE WHITE SHARK SWIM
ALONG THE COASTLINE!

Massachusetts

Can you fill in the other states on the map? (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania)
 CHONDRICHTHYES*
CROSSWORD!
For extra help, look for the BOLD words throughout this book!

ACROSS 1
2. There are around 500 _____ of
2
sharks
4. What a shark skeleton is made 3

of
8. Sharks that hatch their eggs
4
inside of their body are called
_____ 5 6

9. What sharks use to get their 7

oxygen from the water
8
11. The largest modern shark in
the world
14. What shark skin is made up of
15. The white shark has _____
9
teeth for cutting
16. Sharks have been around 10

longer than these extinct giant 11 12

reptiles

DOWN 13

1. A mythical creatures’ handbag, 14

or what you might call a shark
egg
3. What ampullae of Lorenzini can 15

sense in the water

5. Scientists tag sharks and track
their movements with receiver
_____
6. Another name for a tail fin
16

7. Some sharks have this kind of eyelid to protect their eyes

10. The smallest shark in the world
12. The Ocean that borders Massachusetts
13. The largest shark to have ever lived

* Chondrichthyes (khan-drick-thee-z) are fish that have cartilage skeletons,

including sharks, skates, and rays!
 HIDDEN SHARKS!
Using the key below, fill in each numbered spot with
the color to reveal two species of sharks!
6
6
5 5

6 6
5
5
5
5

6 6
5
6 5

6
4 6

5
5
6
4
6 4 4

6
6
4
4
4
5
5

2 4
6

4
5
6
5
6
5
6

6 2

1 3
1 1
5 1
5 3 5 6
1 1 1
1 1 1 1
6 3
5
1
1 1 6
6 1 3
1
1
1 1
1 1
3
1 1 1
3
1 1 1
6
1 6
3
6
5

3 5
6
3
3
5
6 6

5
5
6
6
6

5
5
5
6
6

1=TAN 2=BLACK 3=GRAY 4=LIGHT BROWN 5=DARK BLUE 6=LIGHT BLUE NO NUMBER=WHITE

Can you name the two sharks in the picture? ______________________________________________

BASKING SHARK
Cetorhinus maximus
World Range / habitat: Tropical, temperate and arctic waters worldwide; commonly found at the surface of coastal
waters during the summer to feed, migrating into deeper waters during winter
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, as well as offshore waters
in the Sargasso Sea and the Caribbean.
Size: Up to 35 feet (making it the second largest fish after the whale shark!) and weighing in at 12,000 pounds!
Color: Light brown to dark gray or black on top; the same color to almost white on the belly
Diet: Filter-feed on zooplankton (microscopic animals that drift in the water)
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (unknown how many pups to a cycle!)
Fun Fact: Basking sharks can filter 1800 tons of water through its gills in just one hour!
BLUE SHARK
Prionace glauca
World Range / habitat: Temperate and tropical pelagic, with a preference for deep, cool waters; will
dive deep in tropical zones to find water in the 50–70 degree range
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico
Size: Up to 12 feet; max weight of 450 pounds
Color: Dark, vivid blue on top, bright blue on the sides with a pale, almost white belly
Diet: Smaller bony fish like herring and sardines, invertebrates like squid and octopus. They have also
been seen feeding on turtles, seals, and even birds!
Reproduction: Viviparous
Fun Fact: Blue sharks can have anywhere from 5–135 shark pups in a litter!
COMMON THRESHER SHARK
Alopias vulpinus
World Range / habitat: Worldwide tropical and cold-temperate coastal waters and the open ocean
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to the gulf of Mexico
Size: 16 feet (half of their length is their tail!) and 450+ pounds
Color: Dark brown to gray on top, white belly; darker coloring on the backside of the pectoral fins
Diet: Schooling bony fish like mackerel, herring,and bluefish, as well as squid
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (2–5 pups)
Fun Fact: The long tail fin is used to hit and stun their prey!
DUSKY SHARK
Carcharhinus obscurus
World Range / habitat: Highly migratory (swimming as far as 2,000 miles!), the dusky shark can be found world-
wide in tropical and temperate oceans, swimming as deep as 1,300 feet to surf zones and shallow coastal waters
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to Florida and into the Gulf of Mexico; mostly found in New
England Waters on Georges Bank
Size: 10 feet and 350 - 400 pounds
Color: Blue-gray or bronze-brown on top with a white belly; most have a dark stripe along their side
Diet: Preferring to hunt near the bottom, they search out crabs, sea stars, squids, and bony fish, like bluefish,
herring, and tuna
Reproduction: Viviparous (3–14 pups)
Fun Fact: Dusky sharks have TWO kinds of teeth; upper teeth in the shape of triangles for slicing, and straight
pointed teeth on the bottom for holding prey!
PORBEAGLE SHARK
Lamna nasus
World Range / habitat: Found in cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic and
Southern Hemisphere from nutrient-rich banks to outer continental shelfs
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to New Jersey
Size: 12 feet and up to 500 pounds
Color: Dark blue to blue-gray with a white belly. The dorsal fin has a white patch on the backside,
close to the body
Diet: Bony fishes like herring and mackerel in the spring, sand lance and flounder in the fall, and
squid year round
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (1–5 pups)
Fun Fact: These sharks have been seen engaging in “playful” behavior with floating objects, much
like a puppy with a ball!
SAND TIGER SHARK
Carcharias taurus
World Range / habitat: Worldwide subtropical and temperate waters; from sandy shorelines to the continental
shelf
Eastern United States Range: Gulf of Maine to Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico
Size: 10 feet and up to 350 pounds
Color: Light brown to gray on top with rust-colored spots and a light gray to white belly
Diet: Preferring to hunt near the bottom, they search out rays, other sharks, and bony fish like herring and flatfish
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (1–2 pups because during pregnancy the largest pup(s) eat the others!)
Fun Fact: Sand Tigers are the only shark that can come to the surface and gulp air to help them float in the water!
SANDBAR SHARK
Carcharchinus plumbeus
World Range / habitat: found in temperate and tropical coastal waters and intertidal zones, with
a swim preference for the bottom
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico
Size: Up to 6 feet and 200 pounds
Color: Blue-brown to grey on top with a white belly
Diet: Small fish, mollusks, and crustaceans
Reproduction: Viviparous (1–14 pups)
Fun Fact: A sandbar shark will grow and lose around 35,000 teeth over the course of its life!
SHORTFIN MAKO SHARK
Isurus oxyrinchus
World Range / habitat: Offshore temperate and tropical waters, with a preference for the cooler waters
of the open ocean
Eastern United States Range: Gulf of Maine to Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico
Size: Up to 12 feet and 1300 pounds
Color: Dark to light metallic blue on top with a white belly
Diet: Bluefish, swordfish, tuna, sailfish and squid
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (4–18 pups)
Fun Fact: The shortfin mako is the fastest shark species, reaching speeds of 25 mph, with short swim
bursts up to 46 mph! These sharks have also been seen jumping as high as 30 feet out of the water!
SMOOTH DOGFISH
Mustelus canis
World Range / habitat: Cold and temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic and
Southern Hemisphere, from nutrient-rich banks to outer continental shelfs
Eastern United States Range: Massachusetts to Florida, throughout the gulf of Mexico
Size: Up to 5 feet and 20 pounds
Color: Grey to brown on top, yellow-gray to white on the belly
Diet: Lobster, crab, fish, and mollusks
Reproduction: Viviparous (4–20 pups)
Fun Fact: Instead of sharp pointed teeth, dogfish have rows of flat, grinding teeth that are
used for crushing its food!
SMOOTH HAMMERHEAD SHARK
Sphyrna zygaena
World Range / habitat: Found in temperate marine waters of the North Atlantic and Southern
Hemisphere with a preference for coastal, shallow waters.
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to Florida and Gulf of Mexico
Size: Up to 16 feet and 800 pounds
Color: Dark brown-green to grey on top with a white belly
Diet: Bony fish, smaller sharks, rays and skates
Reproduction: Viviparous (20–50 pups)
Fun Fact: The smooth hammerhead is known to sometimes swim in freshwater
estuaries and rivers!
SPINY DOGFISH
Squalus acanthias
World Range / habitat: Temperate and arctic waters, from shallow coastal waters to the deep ocean
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to Florida
Size: Up to 4 feet and 20 pounds
Color: Dark gray on top with a white belly, often with white spotting on the sides.
Diet: Squid, fishes (even wolffish!), crabs, and invertebrates
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (2–11 pups)
Fun Fact: They got the name “dogfish” from fishermen who observed them chasing smaller fish in large doglike
packs!
TIGER SHARK
Galeocerdo cuvier
World Range / habitat: Temperate and tropical waters, commonly found more coastal areas, near estuaries and
seagras beds
Eastern United States Range: Massachusetts to Florida, throughout the gulf of Mexico
Size: Up to 14 feet and 1,400 pounds
Color: Light brown to blue-green with a dark, splotchy pattern on top with a white or yellow belly. Young tiger sharks
have distinct stripes that fade as they grow.
Diet: Sea turtles, rays, other sharks, birds, dolphins, squid, and bony fish
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (10–30 pups...but up to 80 have been reported!)
Fun Fact: Tiger sharks have a huge appetite and will eat just about anything they find! They have been found with
license plates, trash bags, tires and even cameras...just another good reason to keep our oceans clean!
WHITE SHARK
Carcharodon carcharias
World Range / habitat: Cold, temperate, and tropical waters throughout the world, both coastal and pelagic
waters
Eastern United States Range: Canadian border to Florida, throughout the gulf of Mexico
Size: Up to 20 feet and 4,000 pounds
Color: Medium to dark gray on top with a white belly. Each shark has a distinct pattern (like a fingerprint) on
their side where the white and gray meet.
Diet: Marine mammals, other sharks, and large fish like tuna
Reproduction: Ovoviviparous (2–12 pups)
Fun Fact: White sharks can live to 70+ years!
answers:
Squid Lobster Seal Bluefish Herring 1
M
White Shark 2
x x o x x S P E C I E S
3
Blue Shark o x x x x R E
Smooth Dogfish M L
x o x x x
4
C A R T I L A G E
Shortfin Mako x x x o x 5 6
B I C C
Porbeagle x x x x o 7
U N D T A
8
O V O V I V I P A R O U S
Y C U I D
S T R C A
9
G I L L S I L
10
D T E T
11 12
W H A L E S H A R K Y
A T T
13
R L I M
14
F A D E N T I C L E S
L N G G
15
A T S E R R A T E D
N I L
T C O
E D
R O
16
D I N O S A U R S N
For more information, visit our website!
https://www.mass.gov/marinefisheries

Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries

251 Causeway Street, Suite 400
Boston, Massachusetts 02114