Shark Species of Rhode Island

Sandbar sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus) can be identified by their distinctively massive, triangular first dorsal fin and a noticeable interdorsal ridge running down their back. They have short, broadly rounded snouts and are typically brownish gray to bronze or gray color. 

Sandbar sharks are coastal-pelagic predators found in temperate and tropical waters worldwide. As their name suggests, they have a strong preference for shallow, nearshore environments with sandy or muddy bottoms avoiding coral reefs and rough, rocky structures. The sandbar shark is widely distributed across several major oceanic regions. In the Atlantic Ocean, their range spans from Cape Cod and southern Massachusetts down through the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and along the coast of South America to Argentina.

The sand tiger shark (Carcharias taurus) is known for its fearsome appearance. Sand tiger sharks have a mouthful of long, jagged teeth that remain visible even when their mouth is completely closed, paired with a distinct, hunched back. They have a bulky, heavy body with a pronounced hump on the upper back. Their skin is light brown or greyish bronze on top, fading into a pale belly. Despite their appearance, they are relatively docile, slow-moving bottom-dwellers that feed on fish and crustaceans. 

Sand tiger sharks are coastal bottom-dwellers found in subtropical and temperate waters worldwide. Sand tigers have a strong preference for structured, rugged seafloors and are frequently found occupying shipwrecks, underwater caves, and deep rocky reefs. In the Atlantic, sand tigers span from the Gulf of Maine down through the Gulf of Mexico.

The shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) has a very pointed snout and long gilts slits with dark/gray backs, light metallic blue sides, and white undersides. They have a sharply pointed conical snout, a sleek torpedo-shaped body, a crescent-shaped tail fin, and long, smooth-edged teeth that protrude when the mouth is closed. 

The shortfin mako is the fastest shark species in the world, reaching burst of speed up to 45 mph! Shortfin mako sharks inhabit tropical and temperate open ocean waters worldwide. Adults are primarily found offshore in pelagic open waters while juveniles are more commonly found closer to coastal shores and continental shelves. The shortfin mako is known for its long-distance horizontal migrations. In the Atlantic, they move toward coastal continental shelves during warm summer and fall months, then disperse offshore and south during the winter and spring.

The scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini) can be identified by its distinct indentation or “notch” in the exact center of its hammer-shaped head, paired with an extremely tall, curved first dorsal fin. The pectoral fin tips are clearly tipped with black, a feature that is especially obvious in juveniles. 

Scalloped hammerheads are highly migratory, coastal pelagic sharks found in all warm-temperate and tropical oceans. Unlike other large sharks, they spend their days schooling by the hundreds around deep offshore islands and seamounts before scattering into the open ocean at night to hunt. In the Atlantic Ocean, the scalloped hammerhead ranges from New Jersey and North Carolina down through the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and south along the coast of South America to southern Brazil. While rare, scalloped hammerheads have been spotted in Rhode Island waters due to the local ocean temperatures increasing over the last 25 years. 

The basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) can be easily identified by its colossal body size, massive circular mouth, and giant gill slits that almost fully encircle its head. It is the second largest fish in the sea, behind only the whale shark, and grow up to 40 feet in length! They are harmless to humans and feed on plankton.

Basking sharks are highly migratory with a worldwide range in cool-temperate and cold waters worldwide. Unlike most other large shark species that thrive in tropical climates, basking shares are biological engines built for the cold, heavily favoring highly productive coastal waters where massive blooms of plankton occur. In the western Atlantic, basking sharks range from Newfoundland and the Gulf of St. Lawrence down through the Gulf of Maine, Cape Cod, Rhode Island, and occasionally moving down to Florida and the Gulf of Mexico via deep-water corridors to avoid the higher temperature waters. 

The porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus) can be identified by its bluish-grey back, a stark white belly, a distinct white patch at the rear base of its dorsal fin, and a pointed conical snout. They are sometimes confused with white sharks, but porbeagles have a more pointed snout and smooth, spike-like teeth. 

The porbeagle shark inhabits cold and temperate environments ranging from Newfoundland and New Jersey to Greenland, Norway, and the Mediterranean Sea in the North Atlantic. The porbeagle undertakes long-distance seasonal migrations moving closer to the shore and surface during the summer and shifting offshore to deeper, warmer waters in the winter. They eat mostly bony fish, as well as squid.

The smooth dogfish (Mustelus canis) can be identified by its slender body, lack of dorsal fin spines, and flat, blunt teeth. It has an asymmetrical tail with a deep notch on the upper lobe and a small, rounded lower lobe. Smooth dogfish also have large, cat-like oval eyes with visible small spiracles just behind them. They grow up to around 5 feet in length. 

Smooth dogfish are a benthic species that live in shallow coastal waters, bays, and estuaries, preferring muddy or sandy bottoms. In the Atlantic Ocean, smooth dogfish can be found from Massachusetts down to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and South America to Argentina. Smooth dogfish are seasonal travelers that move north to New England in the summer and south towards the Carolinas or further in the winter. They feed mainly on crustaceans (crabs, lobsters, shrimps) but also eat small bottom-dwelling and pelagic bony fish. 

The spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) has a jet-black tip on the anal fin and a long, sharply pointed snout. Spinner sharks and blacktip sharks are often misidentified due to their similar appearences. The blacktip shark lacks the black tip on its anal fin. 

Spinner sharks inhabit tropical and warm-temperate waters globally. They are typically found in shallow coastal areas, bays, and around river mouths. Spinner sharks are highly migratory, moving inshore during spring and summer to feed and reproduce. They are relatively rare in Rhode Island. Spinner sharks get their name because they swim rapidly upward through schools of small fish while spinning their bodies body along the long axis to catch prey, often leaping out of the water. They eat small bony fish, stingrays, and cephalopods.