Echinorhinus brucus This short, stout shark is suited to its life as a deep-sea dweller. It lacks the classic prominent ’shark‘ dorsal fin, having two small dorsal fins placed far back on its body, and most of its other fins are small and set back, including an asymmetrical caudal (tail) fin. Is
Danger to Humans The bramble shark is harmless to humans.
Histrio histrio This odd fish is named after the sargassum sea grass beds it camouflages itself in. The color can change rapidly to match its surroundings. It is a voracious hunter and will eat other sargassumfish. Sitting very still, the sargassumfish ‚fishes‘ with its rod-like illium topped wit
Danger to Humans There have been reports of ciguatera poisoning from dealing with
Regalecus glesne This unusual fish is possibly a source for sea monster legends as its ribbon-like body can grow to 36 feet long in some cases. The long, flat, tapering body is reflective silver with a dorsal fin running the length of it that it uses to swim and turn with. Its abrupt, slightly co
Danger to Humans A close relative of the oarfish, the streamer fish (Agrostichthys
Mobula hypostoma This smaller eagle ray looks like its cousins, with its diamond-shaped pectoral disc that is twice as wide as it is long, and its dark gray black top and ivory white underside. But the Atlantic devil ray is smaller, growing to only about 48 inches wide, and its long tail lacks a
Danger to Humans Rays in general are considered harmless and inoffensive.
Taeniura lymma This smaller ray (12 to 14 inches across) has an oval pectoral disc that is usually yellow to brown to olive-green and scattered with blue spots on top, and white underneath. It looks a lot like the bluespotted stingray, but this ray is much rounder and has a noticeably thicker tai
Danger to Humans Bluespotted ribbontail rays are often shy, swimming away when approached
About 100 million years ago, a group of trendsetting moths started flying during the day rather than at night, taking advantage of nectar-rich flowers that had co-evolved with bees. This single event led to the evolution of all butterflies. Scientists have known the precise timing of this event s
Life on Earth Unique dove species is the dodo of the Caribbean and in similar danger
Cephaloscyllium laticeps This thick, stout shark is recognizable for its medium-brown body covered in irregular darker blotches and spots, and their elongated, cat-like eyes. It is nocturnal and sedentary, and when threatened, can suck air and water into its body to inflate itself and look bigger
Danger to Humans Catsharks, including the Australian swellshark, are considered
Raja miraletus These rays have wide, diamond-shaped pectoral discs that are brown to reddish-brown and covered in dark spots, and two distinct eye spots in rich blue outlined in dark purple and then light yellow. From pointed snout to stout tail, they can grow to around 24 inches long, and it has
Danger to Humans The brown ray is considered harmless to humans.
Poroderma africanum This small nocturnal shark prefers the coastal waters off of southern Africa where it hunts crustaceans and small bony fish at night. It is gray with seven dark stripes that run from head to tail, and has gray lobed fins set further back toward the asymmetrical caudal fin than
Danger to Humans Striped catsharks are often caught as bycatch by bottom trawlers
Rhinobatos rhinobatos Guitarfish seem to be somewhere between sharks and rays, with an elongated tubular body and fins on the torso and tail, and a wide, flat pectoral disc at their head. This guitarfish grows to around 55 to 64 inches long, and is chocolate brown on top and white underneath, ide
Danger to Humans The common guitarfish is considered harmless to humans.
