Giant devilrays migrate together in relatively small groups. Giant devilrays are filter feeders, catching food on their branchial filter plates as they swim. Giant devilrays eat tiny marine organisms including microscopic plankton, small fish and crustaceans. Giant devilrays all have a black “crescent” shaped stripe that extends shoulder to shoulder, differentiating them from the similarly … Read more

These foragers dig in the sand, hunting shallow sand-dwelling animals like shrimp and crabs. Unlike most rays, blue spotted ribbontail rays will rarely bury themselves completely,2 though they sometimes will to ambush prey or when they migrate in large groups to shallow, sandy areas.3 This is a species that prefers to be left alone and are far … Read more

The whitetip reef shark is a common and broadly distributed species. They are nocturnal, spending their nights hunting and their days resting in reef caves or sandy bottoms with large groups of fellow whitetips. In caves, whitetip reef sharks pile on top of each other like logs, lying motionless for hours because this species does … Read more

Blacktip sharks live in coastal waters off beaches, over coral reefs and in bays and estuaries. They are a migratory species and usually aggregate in small schools segregated by gender. On average, blacktip sharks grow to about 5.5 feet (1.7 m) long and 55 pounds (25 kg) with females growing larger than males. The largest … Read more

The sand tiger shark lives worldwide near the seafloor in surf zones, shallow bays and coral and rocky reefs. They are a large species, growing to a maximum length of 10.5 feet (3.2 m) and weight of 350 pounds (159 kg).2 The sand tiger shark is the only shark that is known to maintain neutral buoyancy … Read more

The smooth hammerhead shark is one of the larger hammerhead species, reaching average lengths of 8 to 11.5 feet (2.5 to 3.5 m) and a maximum length 16.4 feet (5 m) and weight of 880 pounds (400 kg).1 Smooth hammerhead sharks mate via internal fertilization and give birth to live young. On average, female smooth … Read more

The longfin mako shark is a large, predatory shark that lives worldwide and reaches a maximum length of 14 feet (4.3 m). The species is considered highly migratory, but very little is known about the biology of longfin mako sharks because they are often mistaken for, and possibly counted as, shortfin makos. Their diet of … Read more

Porbeagle sharks are very active and have muscular bodies, giving them the endurance to seasonally migrate for feeding and reproduction.2 Their high activity level could also be attributed to their endothermic (warm-blooded) system, which allows the sharks to maintain a body temperature that is higher than the surrounding water.3   Porbeagle sharks are found in the … Read more

Great hammerhead sharks are apex predators and can be found worldwide in coastal, warm waters that are 68 degrees (20 degrees Celsius) or higher. Unlike scalloped hammerhead sharks, great hammerhead sharks are solitary and migrate long distances upward of 756 miles (1,200 km) alone. Great hammerhead sharks also have a faster growth rate than the … Read more

The lemon shark’s yellow skin color provides perfect camouflage against sandy in-shore areas where it often forages for food. This, along with the shark’s flattened head and short snout, makes the lemon shark a skillful predator of bony fish, crustaceans and stingrays. Occasionally, this species will also be observed eating seabirds or smaller sharks. An adult … Read more