Wildlife Guides for Sharks, Rays, Turtles, and More

Angel sharks (genus Squatina) are flattened, bottom-dwelling sharks resembling rays that inhabit temperate and tropical seas worldwide.

A small, shallow-water requiem shark recognized by black-tipped fins, commonly found on tropical Indian and Pacific coral reefs.

A slim, wide-ranging pelagic shark averaging about 3.1 m that migrates long distances and is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

The bull shark is a euryhaline requiem shark found in warm, shallow coastal, estuarine and riverine waters worldwide and is listed as vulnerable.

The great hammerhead is the largest hammerhead shark, a solitary apex predator found in tropical and warm temperate coastal waters worldwide.

A large, partially warm‑blooded mackerel shark found in temperate and tropical oceans, preying on marine mammals, fish and scavenging whale carcasses.

A common Indo-Pacific reef shark often seen near coral-reef drop-offs, identifiable by its fin markings and broad, rounded snout.

The lemon shark is a yellowish, shallow-water carcharhinid that reaches about 3.4 m and is classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Isurus, known as mako sharks, are largely pelagic, fast predatory sharks in the family Lamnidae.

A robust, typically sedentary shark species from the family Ginglymostomatidae, globally assessed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

A coastal requiem shark with black-edged fins, swift piscivorous behaviour, and typically reaching about 1.5 m in length.

A large pelagic requiem shark with elongated rounded fins tipped in white, found in tropical and warm temperate seas.

A slow-moving, relatively placid shark of subtropical and temperate continental shelves, often found near sandy shorelines and submerged reefs.

Sawsharks are sharks with a long, saw-like rostrum edged with sharp teeth used to slash and disable prey.

A widespread pelagic requiem shark with a slender body, long sickle-shaped pectoral fins, and a metallic bronze-gray coloration.

A large requiem shark with distinctive white fin margins found in tropical Indian and Pacific waters, sometimes near reefs and offshore islands.

Large mackerel sharks of the genus Alopias found in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide and comprising three extant species.

Large predatory shark found in tropical and temperate waters, known for dark body stripes that fade with age.

The whale shark is a very large, slow-moving, filter-feeding shark found in tropical open oceans and listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

A small, nocturnal Indo-Pacific reef shark identifiable by white-tipped fins and a slender body, commonly found resting in caves by day and hunting at night.

Wobbegongs are a group of 12 carpet-shark species found mainly around Australia and Indonesia in shallow temperate and tropical waters.

A distinctive Indo-Pacific carpet shark with spotted adults, striped juveniles, reaching about 2.5 m and typically resting by day while hunting at night.

Eagle rays are large, open-ocean cartilaginous fishes in the family Myliobatidae with long tails and rhomboidal bodies.

Electric rays are flattened cartilaginous fishes that can produce electric discharges used for prey capture and defense.

A circumglobal species, the giant oceanic manta ray (Mobula birostris) is the largest ray, typically found in tropical and subtropical waters and sometimes in temperate seas.

Guitarfish are a family of rays with an elongated, flattened body found in warm seas worldwide.

Moray eels (family Muraenidae) are a group of eels found worldwide, with about 200 species in 16 genera.

A species of moray eel in the family Muraenidae, commonly called the leopard or dragon moray.

A large Indo-Pacific ray typically found in shallow, coastal waters and reaching several metres in disc width.

A distinctive Indo-Pacific moray found in sand burrows and reefs, notable for its leaf-like snout and unique taxonomy.

Skates are cartilaginous rays in the family Rajidae, comprising over 150 described species across multiple genera.

Stingrays are a diverse group of cartilaginous rays found mostly in coastal tropical and subtropical waters, with species in marine, deepsea, and some freshwater habitats.

A large sea turtle species that is mostly herbivorous as an adult and occurs throughout tropical and subtropical seas worldwide.

Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is known to prey on the toxic sponge Tethya actinia.

The leatherback sea turtle is the largest living turtle, notable for its flexible, leather-like carapace rather than a bony shell.

A large, reddish-brown sea turtle found worldwide that feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates and faces threats from habitat loss and fishing gear.

Small, abundant sea turtle found in warm tropical waters, notable for synchronized mass nestings called arribadas.

Beaked whales (family Ziphiidae) are deep‑diving, reclusive cetaceans that remain among the least-known groups of mammals.

An Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean notable for its white colour, rounded melon, and absence of a dorsal fin.

The blue whale is the largest known animal, a baleen whale that feeds almost exclusively on krill and undertakes large seasonal migrations.

A rorqual complex of warm-temperate and tropical whales, Bryde's whale refers to several closely related forms including Balaenoptera brydei and B. edeni.

The gray whale is a baleen whale that migrates annually between feeding and breeding grounds and can reach about 15 m in length.

Large baleen whale with long pectoral fins, known for breaching, complex songs, and long migrations between polar feeding and tropical breeding areas.

The orca (killer whale) is a cosmopolitan, toothed whale and the largest member of the oceanic dolphin family, recognizable by black-and-white pigmentation and white eye patches.

The minke whale is a species complex of baleen whale that includes northern and southern forms.

Pilot whales are large, highly social oceanic dolphins in the genus Globicephala found across many oceans.

The sperm whale is the largest toothed whale, a deep-diving pelagic species with worldwide range and complex social structure.

A cosmopolitan, toothed whale genus found in warm and temperate seas worldwide, known for high intelligence and varied human interactions.

The common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is a widely distributed cetacean and the most abundant species of dolphin worldwide.

A small offshore tropical dolphin noted for acrobatic leaps that include spinning around its long axis.

The striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is an oceanic dolphin found in temperate and tropical waters of all the world's oceans.

The dugong is a seagrass‑feeding marine mammal found in shallow coastal waters across the Indo‑West Pacific and listed as Vulnerable to extinction.

Very large, oceangoing true seals in the genus Mirounga, including northern and southern species with pronounced male proboscises.

Fur seals are pinnipeds with dense underfur, external ears, and long foreflippers, comprising nine species primarily in the Southern Hemisphere and one in the North Pacific.

Manatees are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals with paddle-like tails found in shallow coastal and river habitats.

Sea lions are eared pinnipeds with external ear flaps, long foreflippers, and the ability to walk on all fours.

Seals (pinnipeds) are semiaquatic, fin‑footed marine mammals with streamlined bodies and flippers, adapted for swimming, diving and life in cold waters.

Hippocampus kuda is a species of seahorse known by several common names.

A marine fish with leaf-like protrusions for camouflage found along southern and western Australia.

Pipefishes are a subfamily of small fishes in Syngnathidae, related to seahorses and seadragons.

Pygmy seahorses are tiny seahorses (often under 2 cm) found in Southeast Asia that often match the colour and texture of their coral or algal hosts.

The spiny seahorse (Hippocampus histrix) is a small, spiny-bodied marine fish of the family Syngnathidae native to the Indo-Pacific and listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

Weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus) is a reddish, leaf-appendaged marine fish that camouflages among kelp and feeds on small invertebrates using a tubular snout.

Cuttlefish are cephalopod molluscs with an internal cuttlebone, W-shaped pupils, eight arms and two tentacles used to capture prey.

Nudibranchs are soft-bodied marine gastropods known for bright colours and striking forms, comprising about 3,000 described species.

Octopuses are soft-bodied, eight-limbed cephalopods known for intelligence, camouflage, jet propulsion, and diverse habitats from reefs to abyssal depths.

Squid are soft-bodied cephalopods with eight arms, two feeding tentacles, rapid jet-propelled swimming, and notable abilities for colour change, bioluminescence, and ink release.

Crabs are decapod crustaceans with armored shells, concealed tails, and a tendency to run sideways and hide in rocky crevices.

Shrimp are elongated, primarily swimming crustaceans found in marine and freshwater habitats that play important roles in food webs and are widely fished and farmed.

A very large cold-water jellyfish found in boreal northern oceans with exceptionally long tentacles and a wide northern distribution.

Aurelia aurita, the moon jellyfish, is a true jellyfish species in family Ulmaridae found in the north Atlantic and Argentina and is not dangerous to humans.

The Portuguese man o' war is a colonial siphonophore with a gas-filled float and venomous tentacles that lives at the sea surface worldwide.

Sea nettles are jellyfish of the genus Chrysaora in the family Pelagiidae.

Box jellyfish are cube-shaped cnidarian invertebrates, with some species producing potent venom that can cause painful or sometimes fatal stings to humans.

Marine angelfish (family Pomacanthidae) are perciform reef fishes found on shallow tropical reefs of the Atlantic, Indian, and mainly western Pacific Oceans.

Heniochus are Indo-Pacific marine butterflyfishes in the family Chaetodontidae, often resembling the Moorish idol despite not being closely related.

Barracuda are large predatory ray-finned saltwater fishes of genus Sphyraena found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.

Boxfishes (family Ostraciidae) are squared, bony marine fishes in the order Tetraodontiformes, related to pufferfishes and filefishes.

Butterflyfish are conspicuous tropical reef fishes of the family Chaetodontidae found mainly in Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans.

Clownfish (genus Amphiprion) are small Indo-Pacific reef fishes that live symbiotically with sea anemones and show distinctive white-barred colour patterns.

Conger is a genus of marine congrid eels that includes some of the largest eel species, with individuals reaching around two metres or more.

Damselfish are small marine fishes in family Pomacentridae, found worldwide in tropical to temperate waters, with a few species in brackish or fresh water.

Eels are eel-shaped, ray-finned fishes of the order Anguilliformes, mostly marine predators with complex larval-to-adult development.

A family of ray-finned fishes (emperors) found mainly in tropical Pacific and Indian waters, some species also occur in the eastern Atlantic.

Flounders are flatfish that live on the seafloor and occur in oceans worldwide, with some species entering estuaries.

Frogfishes (family Antennariidae) are small, stocky ambush predators with strong camouflage found in most tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.

A pelagic, oceanodromous needlefish found in brackish and marine waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Black and Baltic Seas.

The Garibaldi is a bright orange damselfish found in the subtropical northeastern Pacific Ocean and is protected in California coastal waters.

Goatfishes (family Mullidae) are ray-finned fishes in the suborder Mulloidei of the order Syngnathiformes, sometimes called red mullets.

Serranidae is a family of marine fishes found in tropical and subtropical seas worldwide.

Jack is a common name applied to multiple fish species.

A scorpionfish species (Taenianotus triacanthus) with a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

Lionfish (genus Pterois) are venomous Indo-Pacific marine fish with conspicuous red or black bands and dorsal fins tipped with venomous spines.

A very large, laterally flattened bony fish found in tropical and temperate oceans worldwide.

Parrotfish are reef-associated fishes in the subfamily Scarinae, known for beak-like mouths and roles in bioerosion and sand production.

Porcupinefishes are medium-to-large fishes of the family Diodontidae found in shallow temperate and tropical seas worldwide.

Pufferfish (family Tetraodontidae) are fishes known for inflating themselves and many species contain potent tetrodotoxin in organs and sometimes skin.

Sand eels are eel-like small fishes (not true eels) found in various species, often reaching about 30 cm in length.

A medium-to-large hammerhead shark with a distinct scalloped head, found in warm coastal waters worldwide.

Scorpionfish are mostly marine fish in the family Scorpaenidae, many of which bear venomous, spine-tipped stings.

Seamoths (family Pegasidae) are small Indo-Pacific fishes with flattened bodies, large wing-like pectoral fins, long snouts and bodies encased in thick bony plates.

Snake eels are long, cylindrical eels found worldwide in tropical to warm temperate waters, often living in mud or sand and feeding on crustaceans and small fish.

A common name used for various fishes rather than a single species.

Soldierfish are a subfamily of ray-finned fishes in the family Holocentridae.

Surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae) are tropical marine reef fishes, often brightly colored and kept in aquaria.

Sweetlips and grunts are tropical and subtropical marine fishes in the family Haemulidae, comprising sweetlips and grunt subfamilies.

Tarpon are fish of the genus Megalops with two species native to the Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific.

Triggerfish are about 40 brightly colored marine fishes of the family Balistidae found mainly on tropical and subtropical reefs worldwide.

Trumpetfishes are elongated, tube-snouted reef fishes that ambush small schooling reef fishes using rapid jaw expansion and suction.

Tuna are streamlined, fast-swimming pelagic fish in the Thunnini tribe found in warm seas and widely fished for food and sport.

The wolf eel is a North Pacific marine fish in the wolf-fish family, not a true eel and the sole species in its genus.

Wrasses are a diverse family of typically small, often brightly colored marine ray-finned fish found in many genera and subfamilies.

Bass is a common name for many ray-finned fish in the clade Percomorpha, found in both freshwater and marine environments.

Carp are various freshwater fishes in the family Cyprinidae, mostly native to Eurasia and valued as food and ornamental fish but invasive in some regions.

Catfish (order Siluriformes) are diverse ray-finned fishes named for their barbels, lacking scales and ranging from tiny parasitic species to very large commercial species.

Char may refer to multiple things.

The common rudd is a bentho-pelagic freshwater ray-finned fish found across much of Europe and central Asia.

A small temperate freshwater fish from European rivers that inhabits shallow, vegetated waters and deposits eggs inside freshwater mussels.

A small freshwater sculpin found across Europe, mainly in rivers and cold gravelly lakeshores.

The loach goby (Rhyacichthys aspro) is a goby in the family Rhyacichthyidae.

Perch are freshwater fishes of the genus Perca in the family Percidae within the order Perciformes.

Esox (pikes) are elongate freshwater predatory fishes with mottled camouflage found across northern Eurasia and North America.

Salmon are euryhaline ray-finned fishes in the Salmonidae family, typically migrating between freshwater and the ocean to spawn.

Sticklebacks (family Gasterosteidae) are small ray‑finned fishes found across Holarctic fresh, brackish, and marine waters.

Sturgeon are large, long‑lived, scaleless fishes with bony scutes, found in rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters across Eurasia and North America.

The tench (Tinca tinca) is a freshwater and brackish-water fish found throughout much of Eurasia, typically in slow-moving lakes and lowland rivers.

Trout is a generic common name for numerous carnivorous freshwater fishes in the Salmoninae subfamily of Salmonidae.

The walleye (Sander vitreus) is a North American freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and the northern United States.